All Around You
by Imperial Mint
Summary: Fifteen years after the end of the Great War, Uchiha Itachi is brought back to life by a man who thinks he is the ultimate nightmare for Konoha. Itachi is welcomed back with open arms, but he soon learns that Konoha has changed, and he has a lot of work to do if he's to mend the gaping holes that are threatening to engulf those he cares for. ItaNaru
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing:** Itachi/Naruto. Sasuke/Sakura, past-Naruto/Hinata

This will contain past Hinata/Naruto, but this story is written after they have divorced. There will be no character bashing and I'm hopefully going to be fixing some of the dreadful ending we were given! All the children exist, Sasuke and Sakura are still together (though less worshipy in Sakura's case and she realises that her family isn't perfect, as well as there being actual consequences of Sasuke never being there), and yes.

This will try to pick apart what we've been given and explain things, all the while giving us a perfect Itachi/Naruto ending. I'm surprise it took me this long to write a fix-it fic really, but here we go! I'm aiming to get this completed by the end of the year, so hopefully the next chapter will be up soon.

Enjoy!

 **.**

Konohamaru would never say that his job was easy. Interesting, definitely, fun, sometimes, rewarding all the time, but easy? Not at all. His team were never going to be easy, though Boruto had calmed down a lot recently, and Konohamaru always had to prepare himself for the longer missions.

Reasonably, he was surprised and unprepared when Boruto shouted out that he needed some help. There was a weird man, he called, and Sarada shot him a put-upon look. Mitsuki was already running over, and Konohamaru prayed this wasn't another hostage incident like the last mission they'd been on. They didn't need to stumble into any kidnappings this mission, thank you very much.

When he got to where Boruto was – standing on the edge of the Suna-Konoha plains, Konohamaru started to think that a kidnapping would be better than this. His stomach tightened as Boruto pointed lazily to a slumped figure, a young man who looked as if he'd been ravaged by bandits. Something was telling Konohamaru otherwise, though, and he held a hand up to keep his team back. If this man was as dangerous as his gut was telling him, Konohamaru might even need someone to run back and get help.

"Excuse me, are you okay?" Konohamaru tried, hoping that the man would respond. He didn't, however, and Konohamaru took a smooth breath in, approaching the man and crouching down.

"Hey," he said softly, reaching to touch the man's shoulder. He shook him once, and the man stirred, hair moving back from his face.

Ice ran through Konohamaru's body as the man blinked slowly, adjusting to his surroundings. It was odd to see him without a Konoha plate on his head, but there was no mistaking this man. Konohamaru had no idea what was going on, or how it had happened, but this was way over his head.

"Can you remember anything?" Konohamaru asked, voice low. He didn't want his team to clock onto who this man was, and the man seemed to understand that. His gaze was clear as he met Konohamaru's gaze.

"Everything. Including the war," he added quietly, shaking his head. "I don't know how this has happened, however."

Konohamaru's lips thinned as he pulled his phone from his pocket. The information was too sensitive to send through the usual communication channels, so Konohamaru typed his message to a private number Naruto had given him. It was, technically, a number Konohamaru should only use if Boruto or their team was in grave danger, but this situation was something that needed utmost secrecy.

"We're going to head back to Konoha," Konohamaru announced, and his team frowned up at him. "We're going to accompany our guest back to Konoha. He needs medical assistance," Konohamaru said, though he knew their guest needed much more than just plain medical assistance.

Sarada peered past him, and for a moment, Konohamaru wondered if she recognised him. She shrugged, turning and starting to head back the way they had come, dragging Boruto with her. Mitsuki nodded curtly and began walking, eyes scanning the area for threats as he always did. That left Konohamaru with one of the world's legendary ninja, a man who had helped turn the tide of war and saved them all; Uchiha Itachi.

Who, for some inexplicable reason, had returned to life fifteen years after his death.

.

Really, the story started a while before Uchiha Itachi was ever found. It started after Uchiha Sasuke raised an alarm and the Hokage responded. It began with the last fight against a grizzly man hell-bent on revenge for one reason or another, and Naruto was fighting the urge to pool all of Kurama's chakra into a bijūdama just to blow the idiot up and be done with it.

"You'll all suffer!" the man was shouting, just like a lot of them did, and Naruto shot Sasuke a bored look. He returned it tenfold (no one did a bored look like Sasuke after all), and then they were attacking. Not that they really needed the two of them to take care of this guy, but better to get it over and done with.

"You will face the thing you hate the most!" the man gargled, still spitting his words despite the fact he was flat on the ground and in chains. They'd take him back to Konoha and get him locked up, but he wasn't going quietly.

"It's already in motion! He'll tear you apart and you'll be ruined, even if you put me in chains!" the man began laughing, and Naruto rolled his eyes. These supervillain fancying types were all the same, and whatever plan he had in motion, they'd combat it easily.

So when Naruto received Konohamaru's text, his first thought was of one prisoner in the cells, one he knew was undoubtedly behind this. A grin was all he received when he went to visit, and Naruto could feel a headache coming on.

"So you finally found him then," the man said, and Naruto frowned. "He ruined your lives once, he'll do it again! There's nothing you can do to undo what I did!"

Naruto stared at the man, eyes narrowed, before he realised that Itachi's innocence and his role in the war – shockingly – wasn't all that common knowledge. This man had thought that, by bringing Itachi back, he'd ruin them all.

"You do realise you've done us all a favour?" Naruto couldn't help but ask, and the man's grin finally slid off of his face. "Uchiha Itachi is a loyal shinobi, a powerful one at that, and he finally has time to properly mend his family ties. Whatever you did – whatever jutsu you used or blood technique – you've given a man back to his family. You've given him back to his village. Itachi won't be tearing us apart at all."

Naruto looked down at the man, uncaring how he managed it. He knew now that it wasn't something that could just be undone – Itachi was real and alive once more.

"You failed and you stay here. You tried to gamble, but it was all wasted." Naruto turned his back, not giving the prisoner any more of his time.

Something small fluttered in Naruto's chest, a feeling he hadn't felt for years, and he bit the inside of his cheek. Surprises were few and far between, and Naruto was strangely looking forward to seeing Itachi after all these years.

.

If you were to ask, Itachi would say that he had no idea how any of it had happened. One moment he was just… there, and the next he was… well. Here. He knew time had passed – a lot of time at that – but he hadn't felt it dragging. It just had happened and that was that. He knew he had died years ago (something like fifteen he'd been told), but it felt like he'd just overslept.

"Your team seem familiar somehow," Itachi commented as they walked slowly back to Konoha. He would be up to running – there was nothing wrong with him, Itachi knew he'd be in just as good form as he was when he'd been resurrected last – but Konohamaru insisted they take it slow. Itachi was still finding it hard to equate the tiny brat he remembered as the man next to him now, and he suspected that he'd find this off displaced feeling a lot over the coming days.

"They should be," Konohamaru said, looking at Itachi with a sigh. "You're familiar with all of their fathers."

There was a beat of silence and a questioning, "Mothers? Maybe for one of them. No one really knows with Mitsuki.

Itachi knew better than to question that, so he nodded, trying to place who the children could belong to. Two were obvious, if Itachi was right, but he wanted to hear it from someone else.

"Mitsuki is Orochimaru's son," Konohamaru said, nodding to the white-haired child. Itachi's eyebrows rose, completely understanding Konohamaru's previous comment now. That was… unexpected, but the world had changed a lot, Itachi supposed.

"The others are Uzumaki Boruto and Uchiha Sarada," Konohamaru said in a rush, and while Itachi had been expecting as much, it was still a strange thing to hear. The next generation of the Uzumaki and Uchiha clan, a fresh slate that would never know the horrors Itachi had left in his wake.

"Their mothers?" Itachi dared to ask, for he had to know. He was walking into his hometown blind, practically, a hint of knowledge would be appreciated.

"Hyūga Hinata and Uchiha Sakura," Konohamaru supplied, and Itachi nodded curtly. Two amazingly competent women who were formidable ninjas. It explained a lot about the team and why they Konohamaru was comfortable with the younger members scouting ahead.

"I presume Naruto-kun is the Hokage?" Itachi said, and Konohamaru gave a bark of laughter.

"Of course, he's succeeded Kakashi-san." Itachi nodded; Kakashi had been a wise choice of Hokage, one he'd always suspected who would take up the seat. "He'll be meeting us at the gates," Konohamaru added, and Itachi hummed to himself. He'd been hoping he could smarten up a little before he met the Hokage, but he supposed he wasn't in a place to complain. If Naruto was willing to let him into the village without much fuss, let him home, then anything was fine by Itachi.

"Sarada doesn't know about me, does she?" Itachi asked, and Konohamaru shook his head instantly.

"Well, maybe she does. Sasuke hasn't been around much to teach her much of anything, and when he is he tends to train Boruto more than anything." Konohamaru's lips thinned, and Itachi stored that piece of information away for later.

"I don't think she knows what you look like though," Konohamaru confided, and Itachi nodded, having come to that conclusion already. He looked a little battered and scruffy, but he was still recognisable. Even Konohamaru had taken less than a moment to place him, and Itachi couldn't even remember if they'd met properly in person before.

Konoha loomed before them not before too long, and Itachi was too lost in amazement at what his village had blossomed into to pay much attention to anything else. Everything looked so alien and yet so familiar, and the Hokage Mountain had two more faces carved in. Cables ran around overhead, and Itachi had a suspicion they were to do with the black thing Konohamaru had been tapping against earlier, a phone or something.

The world really had changed.

And then Itachi's eyes drifted towards the lone figure at the gate. He wore a cloak reminiscent of the Yondaime, and Itachi's breath caught in his chest. Naruto was broader, taller, and clearly a grown man who had lived a life and achieved his dream. His gaze was steady when Itachi locked eyes with him, and it was so strange to think of this man as the same one Itachi had entrusted his village to in the end.

"Welcome back Team Konohamaru," he greeted warmly, though Itachi saw the way that Boruto held himself back with a frown. There was clearly some tension there, though Itachi could hardly comment on smoothing over family troubles. "Thank you for bringing back our guest, even if that wasn't your original mission. Your original mission has been given to another team, and you're free to go on leave for the next few days."

There was a sound of outrage from all three genin, and Itachi felt a pang of sympathy for them. They'd need these few days when they discovered the truth, but it would seem like a punishment to them now.

"I will need you for a more important mission," Naruto said sternly, and Itachi knew this was a man who was confident in his ability to crush whatever rose to hurt his home. Naruto was a Hokage (perhaps the most powerful Hokage in history) who would be ruthless if need be, and Itachi wondered how else he had changed in all these years. Gone was the carefree child, and Itachi was surprised to see how little of the old Naruto shone through.

He just hoped it wasn't something to be worried about.

"I'll take over from here," Naruto said quietly, and Itachi knew he was being summoned forward. He went without question, and could feel the children's eyes on him, wondering just who he was to get a private audience with their Hokage.

"Even some random beggar guy gets more time with my dad than me," Itachi heard Boruto mutter, and his stomach jittered with unease. His image of Naruto had shifted so much in the few minutes he'd been here, and not all for the better.

They moved quietly through the village, Itachi taking everything in. Despite all the changes and advances, his eyes always returned to Naruto, noticing the way he smiled warmly at everyone they passed. He still held himself tightly, as if he was holding himself back, and Itachi wondered exactly what was going on with him.

It wasn't his place to ask, however, and Itachi remained silent until Naruto ushered them into the Hokage's office.

"Some idiot thought you would ruin Sasuke and myself so he brought you back using a blood jutsu," he said without preamble, taking at seat at his desk and gesturing for Itachi to sit opposite with a bandaged hand. "You're here to stay, as far as we know, and while I'd like you to see Sakura-chan for a full medical, you look exactly the same as you did when you were alive the first time."

Itachi snorted humourlessly. "I wonder how many people can say they've come back to life more than once," he commented, and a small stab of fear shot through him.

"What do I do, Naruto-kun?" he asked, sinking lower into his chair. "This isn't my world. I've been dead for over a decade, what use am I to anyone?"

Naruto leant forward, eyes brighter and warmer than Itachi had seen them since his return. He looked passionate, open, and Itachi wondered why this Naruto was kept shut away.

"First of all, I think it's time you call me just Naruto. You did so much for Konoha and for me during the war. We wouldn't have won without you, you know." Itachi looked down. At least he'd had meaning back then.

"Secondly, you're going to do what we all do, and that's keep going. You're a valued member of Konoha, whether you want to continue as a ninja or not. You're young! You have an entire life to live free of the Akatsuki and people who want to kill you." Naruto looked at him earnestly, eyes softening.

"Sasuke doesn't spend much time in Konoha. He sometimes goes years without setting foot near here, and Sarada-chan's just woken her sharingan. If you were to stay, you could help guide her." Naruto leant back in his chair, smirking cheekily, a smirk Itachi could remember well. "Don't let Sasuke know, but I've always thought you were better with the sharingan than he ever will be."

The words warmed Itachi and the fear subsided a little. He still had a place here, a meaning, and he'd never be able to thank Naruto enough for that, he knew.

"I've missed so much," Itachi said gently, and Naruto nodded.

"You have. But you're here now, and you can make up for lost time." There was a pause. "Is there… anyone you'd like to visit? Anyone you'd like to track down – I'm not sure what your state of affairs was in the Akatsuki but if there is someone who you, um-"

"There was no one," Itachi said smoothly, cutting over Naruto's words before he fumbled through them. "Anyone I was involved with, as you say, is either dead or understood things there and then. There is no one outside of this village for me," Itachi finished, and Naruto cleared his throat with a nod.

"Good," he said, and there was a strange feeling tingling through Itachi with Naruto's words. "Good."

Slowly, Naruto began to fill Itachi in with what had happened over the past decade or so. His aid came in at some point, delivering ramen and tea, and Itachi dug in with fervour, pleased to see Naruto doing much the same. Ichiraku ramen hadn't changed a bit, and Itachi found himself sharing anecdotes.

"It wasn't hard to do, and I felt like it was a good way to measure my skills at first," Itachi admitted, reminiscing on the time he entered Konoha when he was with the Akatsuki just for ramen. It seemed childish, but he'd been ordered to see how well protected Naruto was following his entrance into his final year at the academy, and instead he'd gone for ramen.

"I'd still do anything for ramen," Naruto sighed happily, slurping down a noodle. "Gaara understands me when the Kages meet. He always makes sure there's ramen."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. While they had hardly been in each other's company for a long time, not once had Naruto mentioned his wife. He'd spoken plenty about his other former classmates, but nothing on Hinata. There had to be something there, Itachi's gut was telling him, but there was no way he could just bring that up, no matter how well they appeared to be getting on now.

"You're going to have to ask whatever it is that's brewing in there," Naruto said suddenly, and Itachi looked up in surprise. Of course, he thought. Naruto wasn't the same oblivious teenager he'd been before. Itachi needed to stop underestimating him.

"It's forward of me," Itachi said instead, testing the waters. Naruto simply shrugged, placing his empty ramen bowl on the table.

"You married the heir of the Hyūga clan," Itachi said, and instantly Naruto stiffened. Itachi had been right about it being a sore subject. "It's only polite I pass my congratulations and wishes for a healthy family onto you, though they are a little late."

There was a ghost of a smile, and then Naruto was leaning on the table, covered hand over his mouth.

"Well. Thank you," he said, not meeting Itachi's eyes. "They are a little late, though. Our divorce was finalised a few months ago now."

That, above everything else, shocked Itachi. He'd suspected something was up, but he hadn't imagined that there would be a divorce involved. His surprise must have shown, for Naruto sighed, looking away sadly.

"I'm not one to talk about my personal life with just anyone," he began, and Itachi nodded. Being in a position of power was lonely and exhausting, even when one was a well-loved and respected Hokage. "But we've always clicked, haven't we?" Naruto added wistfully, and Itachi knew it to be true.

He thought back to the first time he'd looked at Naruto, staring down at a fearful genin. Naruto had been willing to follow him then, talk to him and reason with him, and that had never changed. And then there was the battle they had fought in, teaming up seamlessly, fitting together in the huge puzzle of war – and it had felt good, despite everything. They had a connection, a strange one that didn't make any sense or have much of a base, but it was there.

It had never faded, it seemed.

"I haven't been good to them since I've become Hokage," Naruto said, the words hurtful. "I know I've placed the needs of the village above the needs of my family, and when Hinata told me I needed to make a change, I ignored her." Naruto sighed, looking up and placing his hands in his lap.

"I didn't care enough about my family to keep it together, and I didn't realise I was hurting my children until it was too late. Now Boruto hates me and Himawari is completely indifferent. I let that happen." Naruto closed his eyes, and Itachi could understand a little of his pain. He understood what it was like to see your family slipping away before your eyes and being powerless to change it.

"When Hinata told me that we weren't working anymore, there was only one thing to do. We tried for the children, but… well. She's happier with whoever she's seeing right now and I'm not hurting her anymore." Naruto shrugged, pretending that he was okay, but Itachi knew he wasn't.

"The Naruto I knew wouldn't have backed down without a fight," Itachi said firmly, and he met Naruto's surprised gaze with ease. He was comfortable around powerful men, and Naruto was no exception. Compared to Nagato, Tobi and even Orochimaru, Naruto's intimidation was nothing.

"The Naruto you knew was sixteen years old," Naruto said, fingers tapping the wood of his desk. "When you grow up, you learn that not everything can be fought for."

"If it had mattered to you enough, you would have fought for it. You can't have changed that much," Itachi commented, and Naruto's look turned baleful.

"You will probably be taken to the hospital soon," Naruto said, turning to the box on his desk. It was a laptop, he'd informed Itachi, though he had no real idea what it did. "Until then, let's just stick to business."

"Has someone informed Sasuke?" Itachi asked. If Naruto wanted to play things this way, then who was Itachi to stop him.

"He's uncontactable right now," Naruto said, regret lacing his words. "He should be in a position to receive messages in a week, so we'll send a bird out then. The idiot refuses to get a phone so there's no easy way to get to him, so who knows when he'll return."

The answer unsettled Itachi, especially with the revelation that Naruto wished he would train Sasuke's child. They'd parted on good terms (as good as they ever could have been), but would Sasuke want him around his child?

"Sakura-chan will be happy for you to train Sarada-chan, if that's what you're worrying about," Naruto said, and Itachi looked at him sharply, raising an eyebrow.

"You seem to know exactly what I need to hear," Itachi said, and a small thought flittered through his mind. Could Naruto tell what he was thinking? As in he'd used some sort of jutsu and…

"I understand you," Naruto replied, offering a small smile. "I can read you so well now, I just…" Naruto trailed off, shaking his head. "It feels like we're old friends. I can't explain it."

They had been through a lot together, in a way, and Itachi understood perfectly what Naruto meant. No one had been involved quite how Itachi and Naruto had. No one else had understood Nagato like they had, no one had seen the Akatsuki how they had. With Itachi's return, part of Naruto's past had come back to life, and Itachi knew they needed to sit down and talk about it.

"Sakura-chan has always wanted someone to help Sarada with her Uchiha heritage. Sasuke… well, he spends most of his time travelling, you see. Sarada hadn't even met him until recently." Itachi pressed his teeth together, the sinking feeling in his gut growing with that information. After all that had happened, he'd never thought that Sasuke could leave his child behind. But then, he'd never have thought that Naruto would let his family pull apart so easily either. Something remarkable had happened while Itachi had been dead, and not in a good way.

"Does Sarada even want to learn from the man who destroyed her clan?" Itachi asked, and Naruto shrugged.

"I don't think she knows much about you, if anything. Besides, it's been years. The Uchiha clan have faded into the background for the most part. If anyone remembers anything about you, it's that you helped us win the war." Naruto sat back in his chair, eyes flicking to his laptop. "Sakura is on her way up, she'll be here in a few minutes."

They sat in silence after that, Naruto gently tapping at his laptop. Itachi watched him unabashedly, not caring if he was staring, and Naruto caught his eye a few times, offering a slight smile, though it faded quickly.

There was a knock at the door and, before anyone called out, someone walked in. She was much how Itachi remembered her, though the commanding air around her had multiplied, and it was easy to see that this was a woman who had trained under Senju Tsunade.

"I didn't believe it," Sakura said, closing the door and looking Itachi up and down. She frowned. "I still don't, if I'm honest, despite you sitting there, Itachi-san."

She was instantly respectful, and Itachi supposed she had no reason to like him. No doubt she had heard about him mostly from Sasuke, and a lot of that was never going to be good.

"It is a little unbelievable," Itachi agreed easily, and Sakura smiled tightly.

"I'll need to do a basic medical screening, including blood tests and all that. There's also the matter of your disease – Naruto-kun mentioned that you were already dying before Sasuke killed you." She was so matter of fact about it, and Itachi appreciated it.

"It was a blood disease," Itachi said easily. "Though considering I'm no longer blind, I'm allowing myself to hope that it's been eradicated from my body."

Sakura hummed to herself, taking a scroll from her hip and unsealing a huge bag of medical supplies. It looked to be well organised despite the size, for she was drawing blood minutes later, Naruto still tapping away at his laptop as if there wasn't a medical exam happening in his office.

"I'll do a full analysis," Sakura said as she began to inspect Itachi's general condition. "It'll take a few days – do you have somewhere to stay? If Naruto-kun hasn't invited you to his home, you're welcome to stay with Sarada and me," Sakura said pleasantly, and Itachi was almost overwhelmed by it. He remembered a frightened girl, not this confident woman.

"Naruto hasn't asked me, no," Itachi said, and Sakura's eyes flitted to his at the lack of an honorific. She didn't say anything else, though, merely raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"In that case, we have a small room you're welcome to use. It's not much, but until you can find your feet, you're welcome to stay there for as long as you want." She pulled back, biting her bottom lip. "I'd offer it to you permanently, but that's not the sort of decision I can make alone."

Itachi nodded, showing he understood, and Sakura let her hands drop to her sides, smiling brightly.

"You're very healthy, Itachi-san," she said. "You have a clean bill of health pending blood analysis. Unless you have something to do, would you like to come back to my house? Sarada would love to meet you," Sakura added, and Itachi shot Naruto a quick look, hoping that he'd come up with some reason for Itachi to stay with him.

He didn't even look up from his work, so Itachi nodded slowly.

"Thank you," he said, and Sakura smiled, eyes crinkling.

.

It was hard to believe, Naruto thought as he watched Itachi leave with Sakura, leaving a meaningful stare in his wake. As much as Naruto might like it to be, the hard questions were far from open. Itachi, unlike everyone else, wasn't content just to get his head down and let Naruto get on ignoring his problems.

He sighed, closing his laptop down. He'd only been staring at his emails and scrolling between them in an attempt to look busy, but nothing was happening. It was a lull day, everyone seemed to be behaving and all his tasks had been either completed or delegated. Which made it worse for Naruto, because he had nothing to think of except Itachi.

He was here to stay, that was for sure. Naruto couldn't change that, and he wouldn't want to. But it scared him, in truth, to let someone get close to him again. Sure he was still friends with his old team and loved them all, but he hardly saw them. Everyone had their own lives, and just because Naruto's was crumbling down to ruin didn't mean everyone should run to him. When was the last time he had had an honest conversation with a friend? Naruto had no idea.

Itachi, however, had already proved he didn't care how deep he dug. He wanted to know things about Naruto, wanted to connect with him. Naruto had always strongly believed they could have been great friends with Itachi, but now that there was the chance, Naruto was scared. So much had happened in fifteen years and there was no way Naruto could measure up to the person he'd been before.

So much had changed.

Naruto sat back in his chair with a sigh. He couldn't even vent to Sasuke, not that he ever really got to do that much. Or Hinata, though he'd always tried to keep work at work and home separate. It had made for a lot of stilted conversation and silence between them as the children chattered away.

Part of Naruto did still love Hinata, and it always would. She had been a huge part of his life for so long that Naruto still rolled over in bed and expected her to be there. There was no adjusting to life alone after so long, and Naruto often stayed late working just so he didn't have to go back to an empty house.

He could easily let Itachi stay. The place was far too big for him, even if it wasn't the family home he'd bought with Hinata. There was plenty of space for Itachi – Naruto knew what Sakura's spare room was like and no one could live properly out of that room for very long – but his own ridiculous fears were stopping him from asking.

Naruto sighed and let his head fall against his desk. He closed his eyes, memory replaying the subtle movements of Itachi's face. He could read him remarkably well now, though he wasn't sure if that was due to Itachi just having come back from the dead or Naruto getting better at reading him.

He'd go over tomorrow and ask Itachi to stay at his, Naruto promised himself, knowing that had to be the inevitable outcome. He'd do it, and do it quickly so he didn't need to fester even more than he already was.

Because, underneath it all, there was a strong possibility that he was attracted to Uchiha Itachi, and Naruto really didn't need things to get any more complicated than they already were.

.

No one looked at him. No one cared. The people walking beside them were too busy with their own world, and Itachi found it utterly puzzling. A few greeted Sakura politely, but that was that. They looked at Itachi, but nothing was there, no recognition or fear. It was this, more than anything, that convinced Itachi how much time had really passed.

"Itachi-san," Sakura said quietly, glancing at him through strands of hair. "Sarada… can be a handful. She hasn't gotten to spend much time with Sasuke and, well. I worry about her. She wants to be connected to her clan, but I can't offer her anything."

"Has she awaked her sharingan?" Itachi asked, and Sakura nodded.

"She has two tomoes now, though she's determined to get the final one as soon as she can. She's as stubborn as Sasuke was, though for better reasons." Sakura bit her lip and Itachi nodded.

"I don't mind talking about it," he admitted, shrugging. "It seems the entire world knows what the consequences could have been, and I'm not ashamed that I did what I had to to protect Konoha."

"I could never imagine putting Sarada through that amount of anguish," Sakura said, voice firm. "And regardless of Sasuke's decision, I still want you to be a part of Sarada's and my lives. You're family, and you've been through so much. You should know what it's like to have a family again."

The offer was so overwhelming that Itachi came to a halt. He had nothing but the clothes on his back, and Sakura was here offering him a permanent place in her home. She understood what was important, and Itachi felt gratitude well from deep inside of him.

"It can't have been easy," he said, falling back into step with Sakura. "I'm sorry Sasuke hasn't been around, but I'll do what I can to help Sarada-chan. She sounds like she'll be able to learn even some of the harder jutsus, even without the mangekyō."

Sakura turned cautious eyes to him, and Itachi nodded, understanding her question.

"I believe all the techniques I used my mangekyō for can be used with normal sharingan. It is possible they will be too costly, but I want to try and develop them further until I have no need for my mangekyō." Itachi followed Sakura as she turned down a quiet side road, walking up to a medium sized house. "I will never teach her anything that will be detrimental to her, nor will I encourage her to pursue the mangekyō. It is best that that particular technique dies with Sasuke and I."

Sakura nodded, visibly relieved.

"Sarada knows that her clan were involved in trying to start a war and that they were stopped. Sasuke-kun told her an edited history, though he didn't mention how it happened. I don't know if she has found out the full truth somewhere else, or even if she'd know who you are even when you tell her your name." Sakura paused outside a gate, and Itachi's eyes swept over the neat garden and proud looking house.

"But you have my permission to be as honest with her as you need to be. She is old enough to understand now, and if all our past mistakes are anything to go by, the truth is far more important than anything else." Sakura opened the door, and Itachi absorbed the words, nodding to himself. They were good words, wise ones, and he'd respect the freedom he'd been granted.

"Okaa-san!" Sarada called out, and Sakura answered, slipping her shoes off and moving through the house to greet her daughter. Itachi lingered in the hallway, looking at the photos around, and he raised an eyebrow as he laid eyes on a picture of Sasuke. He looked so solemn, so much like their father, though Itachi knew Sasuke wouldn't realise that.

"And then Hokage-sama tells us that we're done with the mission and to just rest for a few days! It's unbelievable," Sarada was saying, and Itachi smiled to himself, recognising that she was mid-complain about how Itachi had ruined their mission.

"It won't be so unbelievable soon," Sakura said, and Itachi knew that was his moment to appear. Slipping his shoes off, he followed where Sakura had moved to, entering a comfortable living room. Sarada was sitting cross-legged on the floor, back to a box of flickering pictures. Another technological thing he wouldn't fully understand then, Itachi thought.

"You!" Sarada said loudly, pointing at Itachi. He heard Sakura snort in laughter before she moved off, muttering something about dinner.

"What are you doing here? Don't think you can seduce my okaa-san, she's happily married!" Sarada was instantly on the offensive, and Itachi looked down at her, unsure how to start this conversation.

"Why don't you go and take a shower. I'll leave some clothes outside the bathroom door, and then we can all sit down quietly over dinner." Sakura's head popped out from the kitchen, and Itachi nodded thankfully, following her directions and slipping into the shower.

Sarada looked so much like Sasuke, Itachi thought. He remembered the wide innocence on Itachi's face, the passionate defence too, and he smiled to himself as he washed his hair. He'd been in Sarada's company for only a few moments and already he was hopelessly in love with her. He felt a pang that he'd missed her growing up, but he could make that time up to her now, especially as it seemed Sasuke wasn't willing to.

Itachi sighed, letting water run over him. He couldn't meddle any more in Sasuke's life, but he didn't understand how Sasuke had just walked away from Konoha and his family. He didn't understand how Sasuke hadn't come back even after Sarada had met him or how somehow Sasuke was training Naruto's child instead of his own. Before Itachi had come back, there was only one person who could have taught her to use her sharingan.

Turning the shower off, Itachi wrapped a towel around himself and poked his head out of the door. As promised, a neat pile of clothes lay there, and he changed into them quickly. They were clearly Sasuke's as they were printed with the Uchiha clan mark and fit Itachi almost perfectly. It felt odd to be wearing such comfortable clothes again, but Itachi pushed down the odd feeling in his chest and gathered his hair up into a bun, tying it with the hair band Sakura had left out, not wanting wet hair drying down his back all evening.

"Set the table, Sarada," Sakura was saying as Itachi returned to the living room, Sarada jumping up to help. He waited awkwardly by the kitchen door, wanting help but not wanting to overstep his boundaries, and when Sakura saw him she smiled.

"You can put the towel in the hamper over there," Sakura said, pointing to a little room off the kitchen, clearly some kind of laundry room. Itachi nodded and walked past Sarada, knowing exactly when she noticed the mark on his clothes for the little squeak she uttered.

"Okaa-san!" she called, and Itachi dropped his towel into a laundry hamper. "Why did you give him those clothes?"

Itachi couldn't blame her for being overprotective of her father's clothes. She hardly saw him, and it would be so easy for a child to worry their mother was going to find someone else, someone better.

"I don't believe we've been introduced," Itachi cut in, summoning the courage that had held him sturdy before some of the world's most feared ninja. Though he'd been prepared for that, somewhat, since he was younger. Dealing with young family members? That was something new, something more terrifying.

"My name is Uchiha Sarada," Sarada said politely, though her eyes were still narrowed with annoyance.

"I am Uchiha Itachi," Itachi said, and he watched Sarada's eyes widen before she turned to glance at her mother, gaze flicking between them. "I'm your father's older brother; your uncle."

There was silence, Sarada's eyes narrowing as she frowned. Itachi wasn't sure if she was aware of it, but her sharingan activated, as if seeking confirmation that someone from its clan really was there. Itachi answered in turn, elation flowing through him as he activated his sharingan, the world becoming sharper and clearer.

Sarada inhaled sharply, fists clenching as her mouth opened, silent questions clearly bubbling through her.

"I was killed in the Great War," Itachi said gently, looking to Sakura for a moment. She nodded, and he continued. "Someone brought me back though, and I'm here to stay."

"That's why you don't look like an old man," Sarada mumbled, and Itachi couldn't help the smile that beamed across his face.

"Your father looks a lot like your grandfather, you know," Itachi said, and he could see Sakura watching them with interest. He supposed she knew very little about the clan she'd married into too, and Itachi looked towards the cooker.

"Shall we get dinner on the table, and I can tell you everything you'd like to know," he offered, and the smiles he received warmed him from the inside out.

They fit together neatly, setting the food out and talking amicably. Sarada spent much of the time looking at Itachi with wide eyes. He could see the questions there, hidden behind adoration, and Itachi wanted to shake Sasuke, tell him what he was missing right now.

Perhaps Naruto and Sasuke had both taken protecting the village to another level, thinking that they could only protect the village without loving and being there for their families constantly. It was a grim thought, but Itachi could understand it a little better than if it wasn't the cause.

"How old should you be?" Sarada asked as they sat down, the first of undoubtedly many questions bubblind from her.

"About thirty six or so, I think," Itachi replied, and that was a strange thought. He'd never have imagined reaching thirty, had been lucky to reach twenty really, but here he was, handed a second chance. "I'm five years older than Sasuke."

"Itachi-san agreed to teach you, if you'd like him to," Sakura said, and Sarada turned to her, smiling widely.

"Really!?" she said enthusiastically, looking back to Itachi. "You'll teach me about the sharingan and how to use it?" she demanded, and Itachi nodded, taking a bite of dinner.

"Of course," Itachi agreed, and Sakura smiled across the table.

"Itachi-san taught your father a lot," she said, and Itachi looked at her in surprise. "Even Naruto-kun learnt a lot from Itachi-san."

Sarada looked at him again, and if it was possible for her eyes to be wider, they would have been. She seemed utterly amazed by Itachi, and it unsettled him. He wasn't used to people liking him, not in any capacity. He didn't deserve it, really, with everything he'd done.

"When did you get your sharingan? What was the first technique you used? What is your favourite technique? How many jutsus can you perform?" Sarada began her barrage, and Sakura put a hand on her shoulder gently.

"Sarada," she warned, but Itachi shook his head.

"I mastered the sharingan when I was 8. The first technique I used with the sharingan was a fire jutsu, one my father was fond of teaching us. Sasuke took to it better than I did, though." Itachi smiled, Sarada completely silent and listening intently. "My favourite technique is probably Susano'o, and I have no idea how many techniques I can perform."

There was silence, everyone focusing on their meals for a moment, and then Sarada began again.

"Who's stronger, Otō-san or you?" she demanded, and Sakura shushed her, shooting a worried look Itachi's way. She was clearly worried the question would offend him, but Itachi just shrugged, offering a small smile.

"Whenever we fought in the past, I wasn't at my full strength. Undoubtedly Sasuke has grown stronger now though, so we'd have to fight to answer that question." He paused. Fighting Sasuke could be a very real future, and it uneased Itachi. He was sick of fighting Sasuke, but if that was what it took then he would have to.

"If you really are my uncle, why has Oto-san never talked to me about you before?" Sarada asked quietly, and Itachi looked up at her slowly. "I don't get to spend much time with him anyway," she said, bitterness lacing her voice, and Sakura shifted uncomfortably at her words, "but he's never even suggested that he had a brother."

"Sarada, Itachi-san must be tired. You can quiz him later, but he needs his rest." Sakura's voice was firm, and there was no room for arguing. Sarada seemed to realise that, for she nodded meekly and sat down, focusing on her rice instead.

The conversation drifted generally then, and Sarada was largely quiet as Sakura filled Itachi in with various gossip and who had ended up with whom. It was interesting to know, even if he knew he would never remember it all.

"It is relatively peaceful right now," Sakura said, as Itachi began gathering empty dishes. "There are a few incidents every now and then, but most threats to us have been neutralised."

"It's an endless circle," Itachi commented, suddenly bone tired of how the ninja world fed upon itself. He glanced at Sarada, and while he knew she was proud to be a ninja, it filled Itachi with dread. She was still so young.

"Naruto-kun is trying," Sakura said earnestly, and Itachi turned to her. She almost sounded fearful, as if she was trying to convince Itachi that this world was good.

"I never said he wasn't," Itachi replied softly, running a hand over his mouth. "Just that he has changed a lot, and not just due to time passing."

Sakura looked away at that, a hand coming up to rub the back of her neck. He wasn't blaming anyone, but it was clear that Sakura had seen the distance between herself and Naruto and let it lay there. Naruto had too, this wasn't a blame game Itachi was trying to play, and he wanted to do something to help them all.

"I'll retire for the night," Itachi said softly, and Sakura nodded, directing him to his small room. It was nice enough, safer than anything Itachi had slept in for many years, and he found himself tucked in the futon quickly, overwhelming tiredness sweeping through him.

Tomorrow he would work on helping to fix the gaping hole at Konoha's heart. Tomorrow, Itachi would allow himself to let go of his past to work towards a better future. Tomorrow, Itachi would start his life again, and he had a proper future to look forward to.

 **.**

 **Feedback is always appreciated thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Pairing:** Itachi/Naruto. Sasuke/Sakura, past-Naruto/Hinata

Complete lies when I said I'd finish by the new year, but my computer decided to die on me so I have a valid excuse. Hopefully I'll be back soon with a quick update!

Thank you for all the support so far though it means so much! I meant to say as well this incorporates elements from everything we've seen after the actual series (so the novels, movies, etc.) but doesn't follow a fixed timeline age wise (because I have no idea how old they were in 700 or in Boruto the movie so yeah!)

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Before he properly woke, Itachi wondered where he was. The energy around him felt strange, and there was someone in the room with him. They seemed familiar, but he didn't recognise them fully. Itachi longed to reach for a weapon, but he had no idea where his weapons were and so had to trust in his ability to capture the person in genjutsu before they could harm him.

Sharingan blazing, Itachi sat up, only to meet the embarrassed flush of Sarada.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, looking down and practically squirming. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

Of course she had, Itachi thought, but he simply deactivated his sharingan and pulled the covers up. He'd taken off the shirt and trousers before he slept, and felt slightly awkward in front of his niece.

"Okaa-san doesn't know I'm here," she said, and a quick look out of the window showed Itachi that it was still dark outside. "I just…" Sarada trailed off, biting her lip uncertainly.

And oh how easy she was to read. She reminded Itachi so painfully of Sasuke, how he'd wear his doubts and fears on his face for all to see. It was so clear to Itachi what she wanted, and he reached for his shirt, asking Sarada to leave the room while he changed.

When he was fully clothed and hair tied back, Itachi walked out of the room and gestured for Sarada to follow. She did so, both of them slipping shoes on and exiting out onto the small garden behind the house. It was so quiet outside, as if the entire world had just paused for them, and Itachi turned to Sarada.

"As an Uchiha, you should be able to easily use fire jutsu," Itachi said, and Sarada's eyes widened before she nodded. "This is hardly the most impressive or powerful technique, but it will help you develop your stamina."

Sarada nodded furiously, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"You don't need much for the foundation," Itachi began explaining, cupping his hands over one another in a circle, making sure there was enough room between his palms to fit a small object. "You just need to visualise what you want and make sure you channel the right chakra. A lot of technique is all about the visualisation and control – in theory you could perform hand signals and perform jutsu without ever speaking as long as your visualisation is strong."

Sarada nodded, mimicking his pose and looking back to him.

"The main reason words are spoken is because a lot of people lack that control during battles. Your mother always had impeccable control, however, and I wonder if it's a skill that passed onto you," Itachi pondered, noticing the slight flush on Sarada's cheeks. "I hardly ever rely on silent techniques as my control isn't quite up to that level all the time, but perhaps it's something we could both work on."

Sarada smiled. "Just you and me," she said happily, and Itachi's chest tightened. He was giving Sarada something he'd always hoped he would be able to share with Sasuke. He was giving her something that she had probably hoped her father would teach her, but Itachi couldn't bring himself to feel regretful. Sasuke had chosen not to, and Sarada had made it clear she wanted to learn.

"I want you to visualise your chakra, fire nature, in your hand. You can gather it, shape it, make it do whatever you want to," Itachi said, and Sarada blinked at him.

"And that's it?" she said, and Itachi nodded, focusing on his hands and letting fire nature chakra gather there. He changed its shape, sending a small bird to flitter once around Sarada's shoulders and back to him. Instantly her demeanour changed, and she set to work, taking a deep breath in and focusing her chakra.

As he'd expected, fire gathered in a tight circle between her palms. Sarada gasped and her concentration broke, the fire disappearing. Instead of letting her confidence wane, however, she cupped her hands together again, bringing the fire back.

"It won't change shape," Sarada said a moment later, and Itachi hummed.

"It's fire that you created, you're in charge of its shape," he commented, and Sarada nodded, peering at the fire. Slowly, flicker by flicker, the fire morphed into their clan symbol, and Sarada beamed up at Itachi.

"I did it!" she said, shoving her hands at Itachi, as if he couldn't have seen the fire any other way. "I did it!" She was so elated with her progress, though it was little more than a child's trick. What it could grow into was the important thing, but Itachi had made Sarada happy.

It was a strange feeling and he felt a rush of warmth flow through him. She turned to him and he moved his hand, beckoning her forward. She took a step closer, and Itachi pressed his fingers gently to her forehead.

"Well done," he said softly, and her fingers rose to touch the point where Itachi had poked her. "We can learn the rest another day, I think it's time we went back to sleep."

"You won't leave, will you?" Sarada asked suddenly, and she looked away as soon as she'd said it, as if she was expecting Itachi to sit her down and gently break it to her that he'd be gone by the morning. Something fierce rose in Itachi's chest, and he knelt down.

"If I leave, it won't be because I want to. I was brought back to life by a jutsu, and the only reason I'd leave my home is because I have no other choice. Konoha is my home, always has been, and I promise to stay here." Itachi's words were strong, and Sarada's face crumpled as she threw her arms around Itachi, sniffing in his ear.

"Thank you, Oji-san," she said, and Itachi slowly hugged her back. It had been so long since he'd had a proper family, and he could feel something sliding back into place, Itachi becoming a little less lost as he began to pick up his life.

"Let's get you to bed," Itachi said gently, lifting Sarada up and carrying her inside. He dropped her off at the door to her room, and she wiped her cheeks, smiling gently.

"I won't let you down, Oji-san," she said passionately, and a tiny bird of fire formed in her hand, hopping over her palm. She was a quick study, that was for sure, and Itachi wanted to shake Sasuke by the shoulders and tell him he was missing so much.

Sarada's door closed, and Itachi rubbed his cheek, feeling the scratch of stubble growing in already. He was about to make his way back to his room when he saw Sakura standing in the hallway, leaning against her door. Itachi was wordless as he moved closer, expecting a reprimand for taking Sarada out in the middle of the night.

"She needs you," Sakura said instead, smiling. "Ever since Sasuke-kun left the last time and started training Boruto, she's just been drifting. You're doing so much for her, and for yourself too."

Itachi nodded, still wordless.

"Naruto-kun wants to see you tomorrow," Sakura said, pulling a little box (her phone, Itachi's mind supplied) out of her dressing gown pocket and showing Itachi the screen. It indeed did say that Naruto wanted to meet with Itachi tomorrow. "I suspect he's going to ask you to move in with him instead of staying here, though it took him long enough." She rolled her eyes, giving Itachi a look that suggested he should understand her frustration exactly.

"You are welcome to stay here, but I'd take the chance to move in with Naruto. The spare room at his is actually big enough that you can breathe, plus Sarada won't be bothering you in the middle of the night." Itachi gave a huff of laughter, Sakura's look growing serious. "This isn't a veiled attempt of me trying to kick you out, I want you to know that. You are welcome to stay here, but I think Naruto has much more to offer than here."

Itachi raised an eyebrow, not sure he was understanding correctly. If he was, then this was everything and more he could have hoped for. Sakura sensed his confusion, and she checked her phone.

"It's not long before I'd be waking up anyway, do you want to go downstairs and have a drink? I probably owe you an explanation about this," she offered, and Itachi nodded. He was unlikely to get back to sleep now anyway, so he might as well start the day. It wasn't as if he had a reason to be fully aware in the day anyway, so he could take a nap at any time.

Sakura busied herself with making tea, gesturing for Itachi to take the comfortable sofa. She came in soon after, bearing tea and some buns. Itachi thanked her, already excited to have something so delicious.

"Naruto-kun hasn't been doing so well after his divorce," Sakura said calmly, tucking her legs underneath her on the sofa, facing Itachi. "He puts on a brave face and is, for all intents and purposes, the same strong Hokage he's always been, but he's changed. He's become sadder, lonelier." Sakura bit her lip, looking down.

"He doesn't have anyone, not really," Sakura said, sipping her drink and closing her eyes, painful expression on her face. "We're not close enough for him to lean on us. Maybe Sasuke-kun could be, but he's… off."

She sighed, looking at Itachi with tired eyes. "I love Sasuke-kun with all my heart, but I wish, at least for Sarada, that he was here more. He's missed so much, his friends, his family… sometimes I wonder if he's been away for so long that some connections will always be weak."

She was talking about Sarada, of course. There was no doubt Sarada loved her father, but Itachi had to agree that Sasuke might have damaged his relationship with her before he'd ever really tried. It had been over a decade before he'd seen Sarada for the first time, Sakura had mentioned before, and that was unfathomable to Itachi.

"And when Sasuke is back, he's training Boruto?" Itachi couldn't help but ask, and Sakura hummed softly.

"It's good for them all. Naruto-kun hasn't had much time to spend with his children, but… Sarada needs him. She needs someone to teach her how to deal with the sharingan, and with Kakashi-sensei away, she was left with nothing." Sakura nodded slowly. "Which is why it means a lot to us that you're helping her."

Itachi nodded, and Sakura fell silent. Itachi wasn't sure what to say, or whether what he had in mind was appropriate, but he was never one to bite his tongue when things needed to be said.

"I thought it would be enough for him," Itachi said carefully, looking down when Sakura's eyes flitted to him. "All of this, even just being here one night, I thought it would be more than enough."

There was a soft sigh that escaped Sakura, and she smiled softly, a sad, shallow thing.

"I don't mind that I'm not enough. I don't think I've ever been enough for Sasuke-kun," Sakura admitted, and Itachi felt horror creep into his stomach. Konoha was facing some problems, and Itachi was somehow becoming the one who had to fix them. "But Sarada? I thought… well."

Itachi understood, of course. He felt it too, though he'd only lived with the confusion for a day. Sakura had been living with it for years now, wondering when her husband would be home. Sasuke hadn't even been there for his child all those years, and it made Itachi feel sick.

"I don't understand him," Itachi admitted quietly, something he knew he hadn't fully accepted. All he'd done was to try and protect Sasuke, but in the end Itachi had just pushed and pushed, in too many directions. Now, Sasuke was a wandering ninja, one who might love his family but ignored their needs.

"I even offered to go with him, you know," Sakura said, meeting Itachi's gaze. She had tried so many times, the gaze told him, and she had been rejected each and every time. He guessed she had simply stopped asking in time, both for Sasuke to stay and for him to take them with him.

"You're a blessing, Itachi-san," Sakura continued, words firm as she stared at him. "The village doesn't need saving this time, but the people do. You being here is going to trigger a change, even if you do nothing at all," she said, smiling and closing her eyes.

"Somehow, no matter what I do, things seem to change around me," Itachi commented, and he closed his eyes, letting himself lull into a light doze.

He woke a little later, when the sun was bleeding through the clouds. Sakura was up, though she looked as though she had just woken, and Sarada was thumping down the stairs, humming to herself.

"Okaa-san! Oji-san!" she called. "Good morning!"

Her smile was bright and Sakura gave her a hug and a kiss, Sarada skipping past to sit beside Itachi. She looked as though she was ready to badger him to teach her, and Itachi was about to offer to take her outside for a while when Sakura tapped the bowl she was holding in the kitchen.

"Breakfast and then you can drag Itachi-san off. I'm not going to heal you if you collapse during training." Sarada scoffed at that, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Oji-san wouldn't train me until I collapse," she said, rolling her eyes again and pulling a face. Sakura barked a laugh from the kitchen, poking her head out once more.

"With a proper sharingan user training you, you'll be lucky not to be exhausted by midday. Besides, Itachi-san is an exceptional ninja. I'd wager he could go toe-to-toe with Naruto-kun," Sakura added, winking.

Sarada turned wide eyes to Itachi, eyeing him curiously.

"Your mother does me too much justice," Itachi hastened to add – because he really would be nowhere near Naruto's level anymore. Naruto had been amazing in their last fight together, and that was fifteen years ago. Itachi had always been praised for having the mind and skills suited to become Hokage, but Naruto had been the Hokage for a while now. There was a leap of difference between them, and while Itachi was certainly strong, he knew Naruto would win between them.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Sakura said lightly. "Naruto-kun doesn't get too much exercise these days with his Hokage job. You might be pretty well matched, even with your ridiculous techniques the two of you."

Itachi opened his mouth when the door sounded, someone announcing themselves a moment later. Clearly they were close to Sakura to be able to enter like that, and Itachi was really not surprised when Naruto joined them moments later. Sakura, the sly devil, slid an extra place setting onto the table, opposite Itachi.

Itachi hadn't even been able to wash or brush his teeth, and he was suddenly very aware his hair was knotty and clothes unkempt. He shifted uneasily, looking at Sarada as she came to sit next to him, giving him a pointed look. She was smart, too smart, and Itachi knew exactly what she was thinking. Clearly having the Hokage around for breakfast was a very special occasion indeed.

"As Okaa-san was saying," Sarada said loudly, and Itachi promised that he'd teach her the most chakra-eating technique he knew so she'd be exhausted in no time the next time they trained, "the only way to find out who is stronger, Oji-san or Hokage-sama, is for you two to actually fight."

She looked so hopeful, and Itachi knew that Sakura would be mirroring the pose too, both intrigued at the prospect that they might see a fight. Itachi looked over to Naruto, hoping to see the same odd disbelief on his face, but Itachi was surprised to see contemplation on Naruto's face, as if he actually thought a fight between them was a good idea.

"It's been a while since I've had a strong opponent to fight," Naruto said quietly, meeting Itachi's eyes with a smile. It was tight, though, and Itachi wondered how Naruto had grown so closed in on himself. "And I'm used to all the tricks Sasuke plays, so really it's been even longer since I've had someone worth fighting."

There was a flash in Naruto's eyes, a challenge, and Itachi felt his blood rise, sharingan demanding to be used to return the call. He finished his mouthful instead, inclining his head.

"Very well then," he agreed, and he saw Sarada pump her fist, smiling widely, clearly excited.

They took their time walking to the training grounds they were going to used – deep underground at the base of the Hokage mountain, fortified and massive. Itachi reckoned his Susanoo could easily fly around this in its full form, along with Naruto's largest bijū form. Sarada and Sakura had joined them, as had a handful of others they'd had to inform they were using the grounds.

"I trust them," Naruto had said quietly as they'd walked, just for Itachi's ears. His worried didn't dissipate, but his shoulder relaxed a little, and Itachi stopped glancing towards the unknown figures. Most likely they were also here to keep an eye on him, assess his abilities and make sure he had no plans to kill their Hokage.

Itachi was wearing Sasuke's clothes again, armed with weapons Sakura had provided, and he strode ahead of Naruto, to the centre of the battleground. He turned, watching as Naruto slipped his cloak off, leaving it with Sakura with a smile. He then walked slowly to join Itachi, and Itachi watched him, sharingan sharpening his view.

His arm was completely prosthetic, Itachi could see, but that didn't mean it was useless. In fact, he could see that it was potentially stronger than an ordinary arm, and Naruto had had years to get used to it. He was powerful too, with broad shoulders and muscled arms. He carried himself with ease, and while the cock grin was gone, there was a slight tilt to Naruto's lips that showed he was ready for this.

Strangely, Itachi felt as if his entire life had been waiting for this, growing dusty until this moment. Even dying (twice) hadn't brought the feeling Itachi had bubbling in his stomach. That was necessity, he supposed, part of a meticulous plan he'd clung to. This was something new, something different and something he had to puzzle out. The rules had changed, everything had changed, and Itachi had to figure everything out all over again.

"I think anything goes as long as we don't actually kill each other?" Naruto said, so calmly and easily. He was so, so powerful, and this was a fight he was looking forward to just as much as Itachi was.

"I don't expect you to hold back," Itachi said, and Naruto's smile widened. He spread his feet a little, grounding himself, and Itachi straightened, both prepared to fight.

There was a moment where neither of them moved, and then they were rushing at each other, weapons clashing in a test blow, the first movement of them getting to know each other. They continued testing the waters, dancing around each other, reacquainting themselves.

In a blur of hand signals, Itachi sent fire-laced projectiles towards Naruto, preparing a water technique for the moment he dodged them. The water hit Naruto square on the chest, but not before a smooth gust of wind spun Itachi around, leaving his back to Naruto. He moved quickly, heart pounding, and Naruto was quick to follow, the chase beginning. If it was a chase, Naruto would undoubtedly win. What Itachi needed to do was corner him, get him still enough to watch, and trap him with genjutsu.

Even now, Itachi knew that Sasuke was not a genjutsu master in the same way he was. He might possess the rinnegan, but Itachi knew he wouldn't have the same control over genjutsu Itachi had. Itachi had needed his genjutsu, needed it like armour to protect his real interests and desires. Sasuke didn't need to hide layers like Itachi had. He probably couldn't drag someone into a dream world with the twitch of a finger, but Itachi could. His eyes were powerful, true, but Itachi's eyes were just one part of him.

Naruto was clever, Itachi knew. He had sage training as well as Kurama's chakra, but Itachi too had powers. Naruto had never seen him in peak strength (had Itachi ever been in peak condition really?) for any real length of time, and Itachi let his sharingan bleed into mangekyō, though only for an instant.

Itachi had been planning this for a long while. He'd always hoped to be able to use techniques the mangekyō opened without the particular eyesight-diminishing factor, and the trials he'd pushed himself through before when he was alive had been fairly successful. The only drawback had been his body, a body ravaged already by the mangekyō. Now, though, Itachi was healthy, reborn even, and with just a spark of the mangekyō, Itachi could feel his powers swelling, answering his call already. He wasn't going to push for Susanoo, not unless Naruto shifted to a tailed beast form, but he knew it was there.

He did, however, send black flames dancing across their battleground, plotting a route. If he could, Itachi wanted to catch Naruto in a genjustu and lure him towards Amaterasu, though he doubted he would get that far. More than anything, though, Itachi wanted to use what techniques he could simply just because he could.

Naruto, of course, simply sidestepped his Amaterasu, grinning manically as he allowed Kurama's chakra to engulf him. They'd simply been playing before, but now they were fighting for real. They'd tested the waters, now was the main event.

Almost simultaneously, Naruto unleashed his beast form as Itachi felt Susanoo erupt from him, bones clanking together, muscle and flesh forming soon after. His Susanoo was fully fledged, half-kneeling, and Itachi willed the sword of Totsuka to stay hidden. It wouldn't do to accidentally trap Naruto, after all.

As Naruto sprang forward, a clawed hand reaching out, Itachi moved upwards, Susanoo blocking Naruto. They pushed against each other for a moment, a test of wills, before they sprang apart, pausing for a long moment.

Itachi narrowed his eyes, trying to track the hand seals Naruto was making across the battlefield. Even with his sharingan, Kurama's shroud blocked most of Itachi's vision, and he prepared himself, closing his eyes to gather his strength. Itachi heard Naruto's technique before he saw it, and he drew his hands to his sides, Susanoo replying to Naruto's Rasenshuriken with his Yasaka Magatama.

Their attacks met each other with blunt force, exploding around them. Itachi let Susanoo fall, and he saw Naruto drop his shroud, both of them hurtling through the debris and dust-smoke to continue their fight. If either of them paused, they would lose, and Itachi didn't want to lose.

Naruto was avoiding his eyes, focusing on Itachi's feet and chakra. His eyes were circled with his sage markings, and Itachi smiled to himself, mind whirring through possible traps.

He ducked down as Naruto aimed a kick, hand following as if to catch Naruto's ankle. He flicked his index finger, and Naruto stilled. Epheremal was a success, and while it wouldn't last long (Naruto was a pair, after all, and Itachi had no doubt that Kurama would snap him out of his genjutsu in no time), it gave Itachi time to move directly before Naruto.

When he came back to himself, Naruto rocked forward slightly, his chest tapping against the finger Itachi held over his heart. He paused, eyes darting to Itachi's, and a wide smile crept across his face.

"Short but well worth it," Naruto said, eyes bright and searching Itachi's for something. His hand moved to catch Itachi's finger, two fingers wrapping around Itachi, and his gaze drifted down just for a second.

"I wanted to invite you to stay at mine," Naruto said, eyes lifting back up. "It's a big enough house."

Naruto let go of his finger slowly, turning away as the people watching joined them. Naruto instantly stepped away, head bowed low as he talked to the others, and Itachi made his way over to Sakura and Sarada.

"You were amazing," Sarada gushed out, eyes wide. Her glasses were sliding off of her nose as she leaned over the side of the battleground, hands grabbing for Itachi's arm. "Amazing! You beat Hokage-sama. Everyone knows that he never gets trapped in genjutsu because of Kurama-sama, but you actually did it!"

Glancing to Sakura, Itachi noticed that even she seemed taken with him, her mouth opened slightly and eyes wide.

"It's been a long while since anyone has competed with Naruto-kun like that," she said softly, rising from her chair. "And even longer still since he's enjoyed a fight like that."

Itachi looked back to where Naruto was shaking his head, arms crossed over his chest. He blinked when he felt something soft against his chest, and he turned to Sakura. She was pressing Naruto's cloak against him, shooting him a meaningful look.

"He invited me to stay at his home," Itachi found himself saying, and Sakura smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"I told you," she said lightly, placing an arm around Sarada's shoulders and pulling her close. "If you come back to ours, we'll pack up some stuff for you. I'm sure Sarada will be happy to help you take it over," Sakura said, pushing her daughter slightly with a smile. Itachi knew it was important, for she'd just seen a monumental display of strength, and seen her Hokage bested in this particular fight. She needed to know Itachi was still just Itachi.

"Plus I have no idea where Naruto's home is," Itachi offered, and Sarada brightened a little.

"I've been there with Boruto before," she offered, glancing up at Itachi. "But I'll only help if you teach me something. What about the genjutsu you used on Hokage-sama?"

Itachi smiled. "Genjutsu is a tricky one, but I'll teach you a useful technique, how about that?"

Sarada nodded, and they slowly left, listening to Sarada as she recounted how cool and amazing the fight was. Itachi looked over his shoulder as they left, and though he was knee-deep in conversation, Naruto's gaze was firmly on him, and he offered a tiny smile, just a hint for Itachi's eyes alone.

It sent Itachi's blood on fire in a way even a battle couldn't.

.

Naruto was used to the prattle of various members of the council. The people around him all had various interests – one was trying to drag Itachi into ANBU, another was saying he should be taken to the blood prison, one more was simply nodding to everything everyone else said – and Naruto, quite frankly, wasn't interested.

"He's going to fill a genjutsu teaching post. He's not going to enter ANBU, he's not going to be banished or imprisoned, and he's not going to destroy us all." Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and not for the first time wished Shikamaru was here to act as a buffer. What a time to go to Suna on holiday.

"But!" one of them protested, and Naruto had had enough. Itachi had left now, and Naruto was very aware of the state his home was in. He needed to tidy up before Itachi came, and he'd vowed to use less clones lately. He had to keep that promise to Boruto (and plus, with Shikamaru absent, Naruto could skip a few days of full work – Kakashi and Tsunade had done it every now and then, why shouldn't Naruto?).

"Uchiha Itachi was as pivotal as me in the last war. Without him, we would all have perished. Now he has been given a second chance, and I will not let him waste it in misery and an untimely death. He will be allowed a choice – a true choice – but he will undoubtedly train Uchiha Sarada at the very least." The council all seemed to have held their breaths when Naruto spoke, and they all deflated a little, clearly knowing that they weren't going to get their own way.

Itachi was far too precious to let these grubby hands smear him. He'd lived a life of sacrifice before, this time around Naruto had to protect him from those who would push and pull him. That wasn't the Konoha Naruto had made for others, and it wouldn't be the Konoha he made for Itachi.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work to get on with," he said, and Naruto marched from the battle grounds, leaving the maintenance groups to clean up. He'd slip them a tip in their next paycheck; Kurama and Itachi's Susanoo were hardly easy to clean up after.

Thinking back on the fight as he walked a familiar path home, Naruto couldn't help but remember the ease Itachi had pulled off his genjutsu. Naruto wouldn't have known he'd been trapped if not for Kurama, and even Kurama had taken a while to realise they'd been caught. He'd been surprised, laughter bubbling in his throat and an excited gleam in his eye when he'd told Naruto they were in a genjutsu.

"I like this one," Kurama had offered as he'd broken Naruto free, teeth glinting as he grinned. It had been a long while since Kurama had been this riled up, and Naruto knew he could feel Naruto's own emotions bubbling through.

Naruto had always respected Itachi as a fighter. He'd always been calm, well thought out, and flawless. Actually fighting him without any misgivings, though, was another world entirely. Itachi had been alive, free, and unafraid. He'd wielded his powers with ease and mastery, such mastery that even Naruto had felt a little envious.

And then there was his sharingan. Naruto hadn't missed the split second it shifted into mangekyō, but Itachi hadn't kept it up. He'd used his techniques with his regular sharingan, something that not even Sasuke had ever done. Maybe he'd be able to, Naruto had no idea, but it was clear that Itachi had thought about it, realised the problem of the mangekyō, and was determined to overcome it.

"He excites you," Kurama's deep voice said, low in the back of Naruto's mind. Naruto couldn't deny it, in fact the words made him smile, excitement coiling like a snake in his stomach. Itachi was nothing like he'd experienced before. No one, not even Hinata when they were young or Sasuke when he was around, made Naruto feel like that, and it was exhilarating.

Naruto was walking down the road to his house when he saw his family ahead. For a moment, Naruto wondered if his feet had taken him back to his old house, or even to Hinata's new place. He almost froze right there in the middle of the road, but he forced himself to keep moving, butterflies dissipating as he realised that he'd promised to look after the children while Hinata tended to some sacred clan rituals. Or something. Naruto hadn't been listening too much after she'd let slip she was undertaking the rituals with her new partner.

Still, a slight notch of dread sunk into Naruto's stomach as he realised he had at least three days ahead with his kids and Itachi. He hoped they'd understand, that maybe he could finally begin to heal all the damage he'd done, but Naruto wasn't holding out hope.

He remained behind his family until they reached his house – a small, three bedroom place that was everything Naruto needed as well as having rooms for the kids – and Hinata turned to him. She must have known he was there, and her lips thinned, eyes flicking up and down. He was probably a bit of a mess, Naruto realised, but he simply straightened, moving past them to unlock the door.

The kids ran inside instantly, ignoring Naruto completely. He liked to imagine Himawari paused just behind him, as if she wanted to give him a hug, but Boruto was calling for her then, and she ran off.

"I'll be gone for about four or five days," Hinata said, pushing strand of hair behind her ear. It was a gesture that had once sent chills through Naruto, the way her arm moved and the way the line of her neck fell, but it just left a bitter taste in his mouth now. "Boruto didn't want to come, but Himawari managed to convince him. She's a good girl," Hinata said firmly, the unspoken 'though you don't deserve it' falling between them.

Naruto simply nodded. He hadn't been a good father in a long while, maybe today he could begin to make things up to them.

"If you can't cope," Hinata said, in a way that made it seem that was inevitable, "then Hanabi said you can call her and she'll collect them."

It was offensive, really, that Hinata should have such little faith in him, and Naruto really did wonder where it had gone wrong. When had he stopped fighting? When had he stopped caring?

"I'll be fine," Naruto said stiffly, shoulders tensed. And then, because he had loved her once, and they were her children, Naruto told her quietly about Itachi.

Hinata's eyes were blazing when he was done, and she looked ready to crack Naruto apart.

"If anything, and I mean anything, happens to my children," she said, emphasising the 'my' and narrowing her eyes, "then I will kill you, Hokage or not. Do you understand?"

Pushing down the annoyance – because Naruto understood, he really did – he nodded. Hinata cast one more look at him before she turned away, stronger in ways Naruto never could have made her. Their split had done her a world of good, Naruto thought, even if she didn't think fondly of him anymore. She was her own person, free to live her own life, and he couldn't hate her for that.

Heading inside, Naruto resisted the urge to sigh. Boruto was in his room, blasting music loudly, and Himawari was sprawled across the sofa, flicking through TV channels at a ridiculous pace.

"I'm bored," she said as Naruto sat beside her, patting her foot.

"We have someone coming to stay with us soon," Naruto said, and Himawari peered at him curiously, some odd children's ninja programme settling on the TV.

"Someone?" she asked, and she sat up, edging closer to Naruto. "Who?"

"Sarada's uncle," Naruto replied, and Himawari's nose wrinkled, clearly trying to think of the connection and whether she knew who Sarada's uncle was. "My friend Sasuke's brother."

"Oh," Himawari said, turning her attention back to the TV and picking up where she'd left off. "Cool," she offered, and Naruto knew he wouldn't get anything else out of her. Instead he stood, kissing the top of her head, and moved to at least tidy the kitchen before the children could mess everything up again. He'd tackle Boruto in a bit.

Boruto would be much harder to convince, Naruto knew. There was a moment where they had been doing so well, so well that Naruto had thought he'd finally repaired his relationship with his son. And then he and Hinata had split, and Boruto had blamed him completely. He'd accused Naruto of going back on his word, of giving up on promises. And who could blame him, really? Naruto had tried, but he hadn't tried enough, not really.

He knew that. Naruto knew he hadn't tried hard enough, he really did, and yet… it was so hard. It had been so hard the first time around, and now it was even harder. Still, Naruto knew he needed to try and be a better father, and he could do it. He would do it.

Boruto still wouldn't be impressed though. Himawari warmed to everyone eventually, so she would undoubtedly like Itachi, but Naruto had no idea how Boruto would take it.

Sighing, Naruto put the last plate in the dishwasher, moving out of the kitchen to look up the stairs. He called out to Boruto, the music shutting off after his third shout, the stomp of an annoyed Boruto following shortly after.

"Coming!" Boruto shouted down the stairs, and Naruto was about to reply when the doorbell rang.

Oh. Well. That would solve telling Boruto, Naruto supposed, and he opened the door, looking wearily down at Sarada.

"I helped bring things over," she said cheerily, looking behind Naruto with a curious gaze. "Hi Boruto," Sarada greeted, spinning on the spot as Itachi stepped into the house.

There was silence for a moment, aside from Sarada and Itachi taking their shoes off, and Naruto saw Boruto watching Itachi with curiosity, clearly trying to decipher who he was. Himawari made an appearance too, running to Sarada and hugging her tightly.

"Who's this?" Himawari asked, looking at Itachi as she let go of Sarada. "Are you Tou-chan's friend Sasuke's brother?"

Itachi bent down, and Naruto almost envied how easily he smiled at Himawari.

"I am," he agreed, glancing to Naruto before focusing back on Himawari. "I'm Uchiha Itachi, and I'm Sarada's uncle. Your father let me stay here, as I have no home at the moment."

Himawari seemed devastated to hear this, and she rushed off, muttering that she would sort that out. Naruto had no doubt that Itachi would enter the living room to find a small house constructed out of whatever Himawari could find, and he wanted to smile at her antics.

First, though, he had Boruto to contend with, and he almost flinched at the accusatory look Boruto had fixed on him.

"I didn't know sensei had a brother," he said, voice low. He glared at Itachi, and Sarada crossed her arms over her chest, clearly irritated.

"Well," Itachi began amicably, standing up fully. "I was dead, so I'm not surprised you hadn't heard much about me. Sasuke and I had a turbulent relationship anyway, but no matter our faults and the hatred involved, deep down we always loved each other."

Naruto didn't miss the hard look Itachi shot Boruto, nor the jerk of Boruto's head. Itachi's words were firm, and they seemed to be understood.

"You'll have to tell me all about Sasuke and his skills. You must be something if he's decided to take you on as his student," Itachi commented, and Naruto noticed that he placed a hand on Sarada's shoulder, as if to reassure her.

He was pretty great at this parenting thing, Naruto thought. Much better than Naruto was, at any rate, for he could see Boruto opening up with interest, opening parts of himself he'd cut off from Naruto entirely. It was almost sad to see, but Naruto vowed he would rekindle his relationship now, in these few days.

He was going to show them all that he hadn't changed from his younger self. Itachi seemed to think he had, but deep down, Naruto knew he was still the same, loving person he'd always been. It was time to prove it to the ones he loved more than anything else.

It had taken him a long while, far too long really, to do something about his problem, but Naruto was going to do it now. Itachi had inspired him to fix the problems he'd created, and Naruto planned to prove to his children just how much they meant to him.

He'd won Boruto over before, Naruto was sure he could do it again.

And perhaps, he thought as he watched Boruto lead Itachi to the kitchen, Sarada laughing as she ran after them, perhaps he might just prove to Itachi that he hadn't closed himself off. Perhaps he'd even be able to start again.

 **.**

 **Feedback is always appreciated thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Pairing:** Itachi/Naruto. Sasuke/Sakura, past-Naruto/Hinata

Thank you for all the support so far though it means so much! I meant to say as well this incorporates elements from everything we've seen after the actual series (so the novels, movies, etc.) but doesn't follow a fixed timeline age wise (because I have no idea how old they were in 700 or in Boruto the movie so yeah!)

 **.**

Sarada was quiet as they walked over to Naruto's house, and Itachi didn't break the silence. She seemed more contemplative now, rather than outright amazed or fearful, and he knew she'd say whatever she wanted when she wanted to.

"You're very strong," she said, looking up at Itachi and pushing her glasses up her nose.

"I was part of the Akatsuki when I was alive," Itachi said, and Sarada tilted her head to the side.

"They were the ones who tried to destroy the world, weren't they?" she asked, and Itachi nodded. She'd been told a lot, perhaps more than she should have, but then again it made Itachi's job easier now.

"I may have been a double agent, but I was still a member. When I was your age, I was in ANBU. I had a flee-on-sight order on me. I helped defeat a mastermind in the war." Itachi looked at Sarada, hoping she would understand what he was trying to say.

"I wiped out the Uchiha clan, save for your father, in one night because they planned to start a war. I just bested the Hokage in one fight. I've been brought back from the dead." Itachi gave a wry grin. "Twice."

He stopped walking, shifting the back on his shoulder up a little more and turning to Sarada. She looked so open and innocent, so trusting, and Itachi vowed that he wouldn't fuck things up with her. He wouldn't construct some bullshit ridiculous plan or envelop her in his martyr complex. He'd protect her and love her, but he wasn't going to ruin her life as he had with Sasuke.

"But I'm just Uchiha Itachi. I'm just your uncle and your teacher – for as long as you'll have me. That's all, nothing more, nothing less." Itachi finished, taking a slight step back as Sarada looked down. He'd never admit it, but he needed her acceptance. Itachi needed her to still need him, to see him just as her uncle and nothing more. Whatever he'd been in the past, none of that mattered now. He'd lived that life, and while it was true he still had that power, Itachi wanted to use it for something more worthwhile.

He wanted to live his life.

"You need to teach me something better than the rasengan then," Sarada said, crossing her arms over her chest and supressing a grin. "Boruto's already got the upper hand on me, it's not fair."

Itachi nodded, and they continued on, Sarada launching into an in-depth analysis of her team. While he nodded along and was half-listening, Itachi was slightly distracted by the warmth in his chest, and he wondered whether a good thing could honestly last this long.

The house Sarada led them to was nice, a simple two-floored affair that had an unkempt garden and squeaky gate. It had seen better days, honestly, but it looked nice.

"That's Boruto's music," Sarada said, rolling her eyes as they approached the door. "He thinks his favourite bands are the best, but they are the worst, Oji-san. It's ridiculous." She sighed, and Itachi wished his problems amounted to his friend's taste in music.

The music shut off suddenly, and Sarada rang the bell, rocking on her feet as she waited for the door to open. She was excited, Itachi could tell, and he was about to ask her why when Naruto opened the door. He looked a little more haggard than he had after their fight, and Itachi stepped inside, following Sarada.

If Boruto looked more like Naruto, Itachi thought as he set his shoes to the side, then Himawari looked more like Hinata. Though, he considered as Himawari ran off to face the injustice of Itachi not having a home, her personality was pure Uzumaki clan. Boruto, on the other hand, had all the sullen attitude Sasuke had been fond of, but there was a spark underneath, something that was just as fiery as Naruto.

They ended up heading to the kitchen, Boruto and Sarada leading the way. Naruto offered him a slight smile, but they were called to make a choice about food ordering before Itachi was allowed to drop his stuff off. He didn't mind, but the look Naruto shot him made him think that Naruto did.

"I want pizza!" Himawari roared as she ran into the room, waving a sheet of paper above her head. She clung to Naruto's side for a moment, staring at Itachi with narrowed eyes, and then she launched herself at him, pressed against his side as she grinned, eyes full of mischief.

"Papa," Himawari announced, turning her back on Itachi and waving her paper again. "I've decided that Itachi-san can stay here. He'll stay in my room and he can borrow my toys," she announced proudly, slapping her paper down. It was a drawing of Itachi and Himawari, both holding the arm of a teddy bear each. Naruto, Boruto and Sarada were in the background, smiling widely.

"This is pretty good," Itachi said, as Naruto sat down at the kitchen table, ruffling Himawari's hair.

"Your room isn't big enough for two people," Naruto said gently, and Himawari's smile fell for a moment. She frowned, walking over to sit on Naruto's lap, staring at her drawing.

"I've split my room into two though," Naruto said gently, and Himawari's face lit up.

"Itachi-san can stay then? He'll have a home?" she asked, excitedly, and Naruto nodded as he looked up, meeting Itachi's gaze.

There was something so disarming about Naruto, Itachi realised. While he carried self-loathing and his issues around like a cloak, he was also brimming to the full of love and life. The look he gave Itachi was warm and everything Itachi could ask for, yet he closed himself off a split second later, when Boruto announced loudly that pizza was a great choice.

Itachi turned in interest as Boruto slid a menu towards him, listing various pizza options.

"Make your choice now and we can ring them up in a bit. They'll deliver whenever we want them to," Boruto said, smiling widely, and Itachi was taken back years, the same grin on Naruto's face right there in front of him.

"Oji-san?" Sarada asked softly, and Itachi snapped himself out of it, glancing at Naruto before looking to the menu.

It hadn't been that long ago, not really. Itachi was probably closer to Boruto in age than Naruto now, and wasn't that a scary thought. It unnerved him, made his skin crawl, and Itachi pointed to one of the pizzas.

"I'll have this one, please," he said, excusing himself a moment later. "Would I be able to put my bag down?"

Himawari looked as if she was about to volunteer, but Naruto stood quickly, picking her up and spinning her around.

"I'll take Itachi upstairs. Sakura-chan said you can join us for dinner, so choose what you want, Sarada-chan. You guys can go choose a film as well, just make sure it's something you all agree on." Naruto set Himawari back down on the chair, nodding for Itachi to follow him.

They walked upstairs in silence, Itachi's stomach twisting uncomfortably. His chest was tight, mind whirling, and he felt Naruto take his arm and pull him along the hallway and to the room at the very end.

Itachi's back hit the door as it closed behind them, and then Naruto was there, arms either side of his head. He leant in close, eyes wide and blue as they looked at him.

"You're here," Naruto said clearly, fixing his gaze on Itachi. It was almost too much, too much blue, too much familiarity and strangeness, and then Naruto's hands curled on his shoulders, holding him. "I'm here. You're here. Sasuke's here too. You have a family again, and so do I. None of us are perfect, but you belong with us."

Itachi's knees went without his consent, and he knew they'd be bruised when he stood up again. He didn't care, though, and he buried his face in his hands, trying to stop the sobs as they broke from him, like waves crashing over the shore.

He was aware of Naruto crouching down beside him, shifting until he sat beside Itachi. He just waited, though, waiting until Itachi's sobs subsided, until the rage and anguish inside of him had calmed. He was there, like a beacon, until Itachi regained control once more.

"When Hinata first told me we should get a divorce, I felt as if the world had betrayed me. I mean, I knew we weren't perfect, but I thought we were okay. I was okay, at least, and it took me a long time to realise that just because I was okay it didn't mean she was." Itachi looked at Naruto through strands of hair, wiping his eyes on the back of his hand. "You don't have to be okay with this. I've lived the past fifteen years, but you've… everything is different."

Itachi nodded, words escaping him. He slowly uncurled, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve, and he refused to look at what state that was in now. He closed his eyes as he leant against the door, and gave a soft laugh.

"I planned everything. Or thought I did. I thought I was so clever, that if I could just plan everything then everyone would fall into place." Itachi opened his eyes and looked down at his hands, bitterness flooding his mouth. "I thought I could control everything, that my purpose in life was to be some god, deciding what the mortal men did."

He turned his head to the side, shaking his head as he gave Naruto a grim smile.

"All I've learnt is that I would make a shit god," Itachi said, and he had never meant words more than those. He'd played with lives, manipulated for what he thought was the greater good, and where had it gotten him? No one had needed him, in the end. They'd all lived and survived, and they were all thriving without him.

"Hey, Himawari thinks the world of you," Naruto said, and Itachi met his eye. They both laughed, knocking shoulders as they shifted, familiar and desperate all rolled into one.

"I've missed so much," Itachi said eventually, staring out at Naruto's room. There was a bed and a chest of drawers before a screen blocked off the rest of the room – Itachi's half he supposed. "And they remind me so much of how you all were."

Naruto didn't say anything to that, but he stretched his legs out, thigh resting against Itachi's. The contact, strangely, relaxed Itachi, and he found himself leaning into Naruto more and more.

"Sometimes I think that they have it so easy. They are so lucky, their biggest worries are the things our dreams were made of. They'll never know the horrors we did, they'll never understand." Naruto trailed off, hands settling in his lap.

"A ninja is one who endures," he quoted, and Itachi nodded. That had been his mantra for many years, and it was one he still had yet to let go of.

"I rushed into a marriage with Hinata, you know," Naruto said, and Itachi stilled, knowing that this was something Naruto had never told anyone before. This was a small thought, the kind that people kept to themselves no matter what, and Itachi didn't feel he could move or he'd break the moment. "I knew it at the time, and she probably did too, but she was so star struck with me and I… I don't know. Sakura-chan said we made a good match, everyone did, and it just happened and…"

Naruto closed his eyes, sighing.

"I loved her with all my heart, and I love my children more than anything, but if I had the chance to do things differently, I would have divorced her sooner, back when the children were younger. We wasted so much time pretending we were good, but we weren't good. I fucked things up and she just took it."

Naruto looked at him then, eyes full of sadness.

"I've missed so much too, but we've both made it here now, haven't we?" Naruto sounded so hopeful, so honest, and Itachi's heart leapt at the words. "That has to count for something."

It did, Itachi thought. It counted for so much. It had taken them fifteen years, even, but here they were, alone in Naruto's room looking back on their past mistakes.

"We're like two old men," Itachi said with a laugh, resting his hands on his thighs. "Two old men going through a mid-life crisis. Putting things into perspective, we're both being ridiculous," Itachi added, looking down as Naruto's fingers bumped against his, slowly joining their hands. When he looked at Naruto, he was staring ahead, smiling.

"We are," he agreed brightly, looking at Itachi and squeezing his hand.

They stayed there for a while, soaking in each other's presence. It gave Itachi time to think, to really think, about what being back meant. It meant he could try to rebuild things with Sasuke. It meant he could pass on his clan heritage to the next generation – Sarada. It meant he could see this fledgling thing with Naruto through, find out where it would take them.

"It's not just your fault, you know," Itachi said, clearing his throat as his words came out quietly. "Your family problems, it's not just you. Hinata-san should have done more too, there's always two people who need to split the problem."

Naruto didn't say anything, but his hand curled slightly. He nodded, and Itachi knew that he had probably told himself that many times, but he still didn't believe it. Perhaps Itachi wasn't the only one with a martyr complex.

"Papa!" a voice shouted suddenly, and Naruto called back.

"Pizza!" Himawari shouted, and Naruto was standing with a grin, pulling Itachi up with him.

"Himawari will probably try to marry you during the course of this dinner," Naruto warned, letting go of Itachi's hand slowly. His eyes narrowed as he smiled, wrinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes. "I'd like for you to be part of the family, but that wasn't the particular way I'd hoped for."

He opened the door, and Itachi felt a spike of excitement run through him. The lingering gaze Naruto shot him confirmed his thoughts, and Itachi raised an eyebrow, setting his bag to the side properly from where it had fallen. He probably still looked a mess, red-eyed and slightly bedraggled, but the way Naruto was looking at him made him feel as if he was a masterpiece.

"She's far too young to have her heart broken," Itachi said kindly, following Naruto closely. He felt boldness rise in him, and at the top of the stairs paused, Naruto looking at him in curiosity.

"So you'll have to be content to share, until she gets bored of me," he said, and was off towards the pizza, leaving Naruto behind. Itachi smiled to himself as he looked back up the stairs, heading towards the living room, at Naruto's incredulous look. It was one-part cat-got-the-cream and one-part disbelief.

So maybe Itachi didn't need to focus on the bigger picture. Maybe he didn't need to wonder about cosmic retribution and whether he'd done enough good in this world. This time around he could think about himself, think about the handful of people that were his new family. Things had changed, yes, but that didn't mean Itachi couldn't enjoy life. It didn't mean he had nothing left.

Looking around the living room, from where the children were already arguing about who had had more pizza than the others to where Naruto was slowly walking in, as if he was an animal about to be devoured, he thought that he had a lot left, much more than he could ever have hoped for.

.

Naruto didn't know what he was playing at. He'd taken Itachi upstairs to give him some privacy and dignity while he had his… whatever it was. Breakdown, Naruto supposed. He'd crumpled and built himself back up, trusting Naruto's words and strengthening them with his own. He was formidable, Naruto thought, for he'd witnessed many people crumble, and very few were able to build themselves back up in the way Uchiha Itachi had.

Still, he had a lot more waiting for him than the others had. He had more to do, Naruto thought, and while he should have just been comforting Itachi objectively, he'd been revelling in his company, enjoying their solitude. He'd even joked about keeping Itachi in the family as his partner, and Itachi… well Itachi had joked right back.

At least Naruto thought it was a joke. A selfish part of him hoped it wasn't, but he wasn't so cocky he could think he'd seduced Itachi in the day and a bit he'd been back.

Naruto sighed, pausing the film as Himawari squirmed next to him.

"Toilet," he ordered, and she turned to look at him, an expression of utter betrayal on her face. Still, she marched off, loudly complaining that she was going because she decided, not because she'd been sent.

Boruto and Sarada were sprawled out on the floor, peacefully munching on the last of the pizza. Itachi was sharing the largest sofa with Naruto – Himawari comfortably positioned between them – and one look at him told Naruto that he was fast asleep, head lolling back against the sofa. Naruto fought a smile, and pretended not to notice Itachi's head snapping up when Himawari returned, sprawling across them both.

The film was one that Himawari loved. It was also one she (and Naruto, Boruto and Sarada) had seen a million times before, so while Boruto and Sarada were content to talk quietly to each other, Naruto was free to watch Itachi out of the corner of his eye.

Itachi was as taken with the film as Himawari was, and his laughter was genuine. Himawari seemed to be enjoying Itachi's experience too, for she hadn't been this excited by the film in a long while. Her eyes constantly flickered from the screen to Itachi too, as if she needed to make sure he was still paying attention.

He looked free, Naruto thought. Gone were the stress lines on his brow and the slight frown he wore. His mouth wasn't pressed into a hard line, and even his body looked more relaxed. It was a state Naruto would wager very few people had ever seen Itachi in, fewer still that were alive today.

There was nothing about Itachi that reminded Naruto of Hinata, not even with Himawari cuddling up to him. There had always been a meekness to Hinata that she had never shaken off until they'd split. She'd always seen Naruto as someone who was perfect, when all he'd wanted was to be seen as an equal. Hinata had given him something precious in their children, but they hadn't been themselves with each other.

He could see that now, watching as Himawari explained to Itachi how amazing her favourite character was, and why he should like the rabbit the most. Itachi was focused on her, eyes bright as her hands moved all around, waving manically. Hinata had trapped Naruto as much as he had her, and he vowed when she was back that they make amends. He didn't want to leave their relationship as sour as it was now, and while he never wanted to reform their bond, they had shared so much of their lives together. He could be happy for her at least, just as she could be happy for him. Naruto didn't want them to hurt each other anymore.

When the film ended, Sarada announced that she was going to head home. She punched Boruto on the arm, gave both Himawari and Itachi a hug, and smiled at Naruto.

"See you tomorrow," Naruto said kindly, and her smile widened at the invitation. She was part of their family now, and Sarada needed to know she was always invited. Sakura too, Naruto thought, for they'd drifted over the years.

There was guilt in his feelings for Sakura. She'd been so supportive and pushy for his relationship with Hinata, probably feeling that she needed to be on Hinata's behalf. Naruto didn't resent her that – that was just Sakura's personality. Over their individual marriages, though, they had drifted, and when Naruto's had disintegrated, he had bizarrely felt as though he'd let Sakura down too. He couldn't explain why, but he'd avoided her even more after that.

But Itachi was a beacon of mending bridges. He was their opportunity – or rather their signal. Naruto wasn't going to waste such an opportunity.

"There's a second one coming out at the movies soon," Himawari was saying, tugging on Itachi's sleeve. "We can go see that!"

"If your father doesn't mind, I'd love to," Itachi said, looking up at Naruto. He rolled his eyes, Himawari had been trying desperately to get someone to take her to the premiere, but Boruto had point blank refused (he usually couldn't deny her anything, but he refused to be surrounded by Himawaris on the opening night), Hinata wasn't a fan of the movies, and Naruto was out of Konoha on business.

"She's all yours," Naruto commented, and Himawari practically launched herself at him, squealing in excitement. She then ran out of the room, calling for Boruto and Sarada, and Naruto could hear her as she ran around the front garden with glee.

"She really loves that rabbit," Naruto said, about to laugh. He cut himself short, though, when he saw the serious look on Itachi's face, and he raised an eyebrow.

"That rabbit went on an emotional journey to find where it belongs in the world." Itachi gave a small smile. "I really love that rabbit too."

Naruto stretched his arms up, hands linking behind his neck. He closed his eyes, shaking his head.

"Careful, she'll be angling for more merchandise. If there's one thing Himawari is good at, it's manipulating you to get her what she wants. She does it so sweetly," Naruto said fondly. He'd fallen into the Himawari trap many times before, and while Hinata had sent him a hopeless look, the way Himawari had lit up with her present had made it worth it.

"I don't know if I have any money," Itachi said suddenly, and Naruto looked at him sharply. "Sakura-san gave me some of Sasuke's clothes," he added, and Naruto's jaw slackened a little. He was such an idiot!

"We'll sort that out tomorrow," he promised. Usually Shikamaru would take care of finance issues, but Naruto knew enough to be able to sort Itachi out. He knew there was an old Uchiha clan fund that Sasuke had refused, claiming it was tainted money, and Sakura hadn't wanted to know about it. Sasuke and Sakura's current savings for Sarada were more than the old fund too, and it would compensate Itachi for the time he had spent unpaid in the field.

"I have an account for you," Naruto added, and Itachi nodded slowly. "Tomorrow we can go shopping if you like. I'll be sending a clone into work anyway – Shikamaru's not in and I'd rather be with the children. We can make it a big trip, they probably have stuff they need as well."

Itachi nodded again, and Naruto beamed. Crisis averted he thought, and then another thing occurred to him.

"We can also stop by a clan tailor and get them to embroider your clothes with the Uchiha mark if you like," he said quickly, and Itachi tilted his head to the side for a moment.

"I think that's something I need to talk about with Sasuke first," Itachi admitted, the noise of the film credits filling the silence that stretched between them. Naruto hadn't expected his living room to be the stage of this conversation, but it was good as place as any.

"I sent a message off to him last night. I'm not sure when he'll receive it, but it'll hopefully be soon. I've told him everything – coded in only something the two of us know – so he should be home soon." Naruto drifted off, knowing that Itachi much have thousands of questions. He had plenty about Sasuke too, but he'd long since learnt to accept they'd never likely be answered.

"Is he happy?" Itachi asked, and that was something Naruto hadn't been expecting.

He didn't reply right away. It wasn't really a question he could answer, after all, and Naruto sank back into the sofa, sighing lightly.

"He seems content. He loves Sarada-chan with all his heart, Sakura-chan too, though I'll never really understand their relationship properly. He protects Konoha from afar, and while I wish he'd stay longer, Sasuke does what he has to do." Naruto turned to Itachi, smiling. "He's living his life the way he wants. It's not perfect, but none of us are."

Itachi was quiet, and then he nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"That's all that matters," he said quietly, and Naruto hummed in agreement.

A comfortable silence stretched between them. Naruto was about to speak, the kind of conversation more suited to the dark of night, when two people would spill their secrets into the inky night, when Boruto entered the room, fixing Naruto with a scowl.

"I'm going upstairs," Boruto said sullenly, and Naruto could see Itachi sit straighter, almost as if he was inspecting Boruto.

"I'd like to know more about my brother from you," Itachi said smoothly, and Naruto wondered what he was up to. If there was anything he needed to know about Sasuke, Naruto was more than enough to cover his bases.

Boruto nodded stiffly, and Naruto took that as his cue to leave, exiting smoothly. He didn't bother to eavesdrop; whatever it was, he could wheedle out of Itachi later. Instead, he went to find Himawari. She was suspiciously quiet, and Naruto found her up in his room, looking at one of the photograph books he kept in his drawers. She'd always loved looking at them, but since he'd split from Hinata, she'd never shown an interest.

"Papa isn't sad anymore," Himawari said softly, flipping between pages. "Mama isn't either, so even if Boruto-nii doesn't like it, I get it," she said sagely, with wisdom that was far beyond anything Naruto thought she was capable of. He sat down on the bed beside her, scooping her into his lap as they browsed through the photos, commenting every now and then when they saw a particularly memorable one.

It was easy to see the sadness creeping into the lines of their faces through these photos, Naruto thought. Hinata and himself were distanced over time, and Naruto wanted to laugh at how blind he had been. It was right there, after all.

"And if you marry Itachi-san, Sarada-chan will become my sister!" Himawari announced eagerly, and while the connection wasn't quite sisterly, it was close enough. Still, he had to nip this particular bud before it grew even more. Naruto didn't need rumours he was going to marry Itachi spreading around the village.

"What happened to you wanting to marry him?" he asked, and Himawari sighed, as if Naruto was a huge burden.

"We're incompatible," she said offhandedly. "I did want to marry Sarada-chan, but if she's going to by my sister that will be a problem too." Himawari looked up at Naruto, frowning. "I should focus on my career first I think."

Naruto laughed, rolling back on the bed and tickling Himawari as he did so. She squealed with laughter, kicking her legs out to try and get him to stop, and Naruto sighed happily, letting her get her revenge.

"Your career, eh?" he said, rolling out of the way of her fingers. "You'll make a formidable ninja."

And she would, but the thought churned in his stomach, just as it had when Boruto had fought the enemy Momoshiki. He was proud of them, yes, but Naruto didn't want his children fighting the way he had. That era was over, or so he hoped, and yet he'd done little to aid peace and prosperity.

When Shikamaru was back, Naruto was going to set about changing some laws. Itachi could input, as could Kakashi and many others. There would be no child in his village who had to deal with what they had. The ninja system couldn't be eradicated completely, but he could protect those inside of it.

"I'm going to be a teacher," Himawari said. "I'll make them all super smart, and everyone will love me."

Naruto laughed again as Himawari jumped on him. She was ridiculously strong, he thought, and while Naruto knew he'd gain a few bruises from their play fighting, it was worth it to see Himawari so happy.

Naruto just hoped he could keep this up. He was starting to get everything on the right track, but keeping it there would be much harder. Naruto was nothing but determined, though, and if there was one thing he could dedicate himself to, it was to his family.

.

Itachi listened as Boruto regaled his tale of how Sasuke had become his teacher, including information on these ninja tools and the fact he had mastered the rasengan in no time at all. He was a prodigy if Itachi had ever seen one, and it was no surprise Sasuke had taken him on as a student.

"He still never mentioned you though," Boruto said at the end of his story, almost pouting at that fact, as if he'd been told every other aspect of Sasuke's life.

"I'm not surprised," Itachi said, shrugging. "He didn't even tell his own daughter. In the end we… we were okay, but I did a lot of things to push Sasuke away. He had every right to hate me, and maybe he still does."

Boruto looked at him for a moment, looking down quickly when Itachi caught his eye.

"You said that earlier," he mumbled, "but I still don't get how you can love someone and hate them at the same time."

"The world that we grew up in was dangerous," Itachi began, turning on the sofa so Boruto could see him fully. "We all, including your father, had to do a lot of things that hurt people, that we didn't want to do, to protect what was – is – precious to us. I made a mistake that cost Sasuke a lot of his happiness, and I thought that I could change things by manipulating him."

It had seemed so simple in his head, Itachi thought. But, of course, Sasuke had had a mind of his own, desires of his own, and as much as Itachi had tried to shape him, he'd forgotten that important detail. He'd never wanted Sasuke to find out his innocence either, but that discovery hadn't been his fault at least.

"When Sasuke learnt the truth behind my actions, my manipulations, he was willing to learn from me, to forgive me to a degree. We parted on better terms, but there wasn't enough time to heal the damage I'd done." It was good to accept that. Itachi felt slightly more open with himself, more honest. He could admit now that his plans had been flawed, that he'd tried to do so much and failed.

But that was okay. He was here now, so was Sasuke. Whatever had happened in the past, if Sasuke was up to it, Itachi could rebuild their relationship. He could atone for what he'd done, what he thought he could achieve, and he would do it right this time.

"A family is a difficult thing," Itachi said, and Boruto nodded at that, still looking down at his hands. "It's all about compromise and communication," Itachi said wryly, knowing that they were two things he had never executed with Sasuke.

"Do you think…" Boruto began, looking suddenly so young and uncertain. He looked at Itachi, and Itachi smiled, nodding slowly.

"All sides need to try, but it can be done. It's never too late," Itachi said.

He just hoped his words applied for his family just as much as Boruto's.

 **.**

 **Feedback is always appreciated thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Pairing:** Itachi/Naruto

Thank you for all of the support so far! I really appreciate it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! In which things start to get resolved - on a surface level at least. Trust me when I say a full recovery for all is not this simple or easy (but everyone will get their happy ending!)

 **.**

The morning air was crisp, but it carried a familiar scent, something warm that Sasuke would never forget. It reminded him of being a child, of love and hate and so many other things. Konoha would always leave him with a mixed reaction, but he was content with how things were right now. He had his family and friends here, and the past was behind him, even if he shouldered it every time he stepped back into the world beyond Konoha.

Glancing down at the sheet of paper in his hands, an address for a house Sakura had moved into recently, finally deciding their first flat was too small (no matter how much Sasuke had tried to persuade her into moving, Sakura had loved that place, claiming anything bigger and she'd be too lonely). She'd cheerfully informed him that she'd made the move and that they had a small garden. Sasuke had been camping in a cave at that point, and he'd smiled at the image of Sakura and Sarada picking food they'd grown.

Entering was easy, and Sasuke slipped through Sakura's protective seals. The house recognised him, and Sasuke paused in the hallway, one shoe on and one off. He could hear Sakura humming in the kitchen, though she called out in greeting after the door closed.

"I thought you'd be training until lunchtime at least. I know how excited you were to finally learn something from your new teacher," Sakura said, voice full of teasing. Sasuke's stomach twisted in anticipation as he heard Sakura moving in his direction, and he wondered how worthy she would think of him now.

"I'm still surprised you didn't find some excuse to stay round with Boruto-kun, if I'm honest. You've been pestering It-" Sakura stopped dead, eyes wide and mouth open as she finally realised who had come home. Sasuke stood there uselessly as she blinked, drew her lip between her teeth, and then closed the distance between them quickly, hurling her arms around Sasuke.

"You're back," she rushed out, and Sasuke felt tension bleed from him. He held her too, closing his eyes just for a moment. In Konoha, and Konoha alone, he could be himself. This was where the people he trusted and loved lived, and he could allow himself to feel again.

"I didn't think Naruto-kun's message would reach you so quickly," Sakura said as she pulled back, face guarded. "We all expected you to take at least three days or so, though I'm not surprised you made it back as quickly as you can, considering the circumstances."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, letting his arms slip from Sakura as he took his other shoe off.

"I haven't got any messages. I was already on my way back here, my last mission ended earlier than I thought. What's the idiot done this time?" Sasuke said fondly. He'd go and see Naruto soon, but he was hoping to spend some time with Sarada first. "Where's Sarada?"

Sakura bit her lip again and looked down. She was uncomfortable, and Sasuke knew something was terribly wrong.

"You need to go and see Naruto-kun," she insisted, shoulders dropping slightly. "Now," she urged, grabbing Sasuke's arm and pulling him back.

"Sakura-" he started, but there was no way Sakura was going to let him go. She fixed him a stern look, and Sasuke knew if he wanted to return home tonight then he had to do as he was told. There was only so much one person, even one as faithful and devoted as Sakura, could take, Sasuke knew that. He'd constantly pushed her, and he wouldn't be surprised if he did return to Konoha one day to find her with someone. Not that she would – Sakura was too good to him for that – but he still wouldn't blame her.

She was more than he deserved, and Sasuke caught her hand, kissing it softly before he put his shoes back on.

He left, Sakura's relieved sigh following him. Sasuke tried to think what could be so important, but nothing was running through his mind. There were no big threats right now, nothing that could topple them, and he was left flummoxed for what was so important it required him to see the Hokage right away.

There was no Shikamaru to warn Naruto of Sasuke's arrival, so he simply entered the Hokage's office. There was only one Naruto, strangely, though he was busy typing away on his keyboard so he had to be hard at work. Usually there was more than one clone… perhaps Naruto had finally realised he needed to live as well as work.

"Sakura told me you sent me a message," Sasuke opened, and Naruto's head jerked towards him. He didn't seem surprised, and Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if he'd sense him coming. Naruto, though he'd always be an idiot to Sasuke, was the greatest Hokage Konoha had ever seen.

"You didn't get the message?" Naruto asked, brows furrowing. Sasuke shook his head, sitting down before Naruto's desk, waiting. "So you just randomly decided to come home? A bit of a weird coincidence," Naruto muttered, running a hand through his hair, ruffling it up a little.

"I was on my way back. I was thinking of staying for a while, to help Boruto and Sarada," Sasuke said simply. He wanted to spend at least some time with Sarada before he left again, and he had a promising student in Boruto. The world was peaceful, and while Sasuke's network of informants kept their eyes open, there were only small matters cropping up. Sasuke could afford a rest.

"Then you don't know," Naruto said, hand slipping to rub his eyes. He looked tired, as if he hadn't slept well the night before, and Sasuke felt the first stab of fear coil inside of him. Had something terrible happened?

"Naruto," he began, but Naruto held up a hand, completely serious.

"What I'm going to tell you isn't easy for you to hear, okay?" Naruto began, and Sasuke's blood ran cold. He opened his mouth, and Naruto shook his head. "Sarada-chan and Sakura-chan are fine. Amazing even, this isn't about them so don't worry."

Sasuke felt a wave of relief roll through him. Though that begged the question of why he was here – if it wasn't for Sakura or Sarada, then what?

"A misinformed idiot decided to meddle in an old blood jutsu. They wanted to make yours and my lives difficult, and so decided that the best way to do that was to bring someone back to life." Naruto paused, and Sasuke felt his body stiffen, mind whirling with possibilities. There was one that screamed at him, Sakura's words about Sarada training finally clicking, but it couldn't… it couldn't be.

"Two days ago, Team Konohamaru picked up a man on their mission. They brought him back immediately when Konohamaru recognised him." Naruto paused, and Sasuke felt as if that second was the longest he'd ever waited through. He was almost ready to launch himself at Naruto when he spoke.

"Uchiha Itachi returned to the village two days ago. He was given a clean bill of health, pending bloodwork, and seems to have all of his skills intact. I can personally attest that he is one hundred percent himself, free of influence and about fifteen years younger than us." Naruto shot him a crooked smile, and Sasuke stared at him, brain trying to process the words.

Naruto returned to his work quietly, and Sasuke mulled over the fact that his brother – someone he'd spent a great part of his life hating, a man who had helped shape him onto the path he was on today and someone he had parted with lovingly – was back. Apparently unchanged from the war too.

"He's training Sarada," Sasuke stated, because there was no one else who could. Kakashi might have been able to once, but it had been a long time since he'd had his sharingan. And besides, Kakashi was away enjoying his retirement.

Naruto glanced over, nodding.

"He's training Sarada-chan. And Uchiha should always train an Uchiha, after all." Naruto smiled, looking down, and Sasuke tracked him carefully. "He's staying at mine. Sakura-chan put him up the first night, but your spare room is like a cupboard. There's plenty of room at mine."

Sasuke's brain paused as he caught the look on Naruto's face. It didn't matter how his first meeting with Itachi since he'd died would go, not when Naruto was pointedly not meeting his eyes and fiddling with his mouse.

"Naruto," Sasuke said, voice low, warning. "You have a wife," Sasuke said cautionary, hardly believing he had to remind Naruto, of all people, to be faithful. Never mind the rest of the mess it would bring, there was no way Naruto could think he would get away with being unfaithful.

"Wife?" Naruto said, frowning. His expression cleared a moment later, and he sighed, shaking his head. "You haven't been here, of course. I've been divorced for almost a year now," Naruto admitted, and Sasuke felt cool shock pass through him.

"Divorced?" he parroted in disbelief. If there was one person he would never have expected to divorce, it would have been Naruto.

"It was for the best," Naruto said stiffly, and Sasuke knew that this wasn't the time to discuss Naruto's issues. And, just like that, he was brought back to reality – a reality where his brother was alive. Again.

"He's doing well," Naruto said quietly, and Sasuke made an odd noise, a murmur in the back of his throat. "Still trying to find his place in this weird world, but he's going to get there."

Sasuke sat in silence for a while, mulling over the information Naruto had given him. It was almost too good to be true – Sasuke had often wondered what life would have been like had Itachi lived, but he'd never once imagined that it was a possibility that could come true. There were so many things he wanted to tell Itachi about, show him even, but how could he? Sasuke had no idea how he'd be able to face Itachi for so many reasons.

For the first time in years, Sasuke was scared.

"I have to see him," Sasuke said, though half of him was screaming not to. He'd lived so long without Itachi that he had no idea how his life would be with him. It was too strange, too raw, but hope blossomed inside of him too. He wanted to see Itachi, wanted to right the wrongs they had been dealt, and rebuild their relationship, if he could.

He also had so many questions he needed answering.

"Alright then," Naruto said, nodding his head slowly. "I'll send someone to fetch him," he said, but Sasuke shook his head. He couldn't sit around waiting, not when he knew Itachi was here.

"I'll go to him," he said, firmly and ignoring the look of concern Naruto shot him. "I'm not going to do anything. I've grown up, a lot," Sasuke added at Naruto's raised eyebrows. "I need to do this."

Naruto sighed, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He tapped into it rapidly, setting it down when he was done. A moment later, it buzzed, and Naruto nodded.

"He's training Sarada-chan in the eastern field site, section B. If you're going to cause a ruckus, take it under the Hokage mountain. I'll let the guards know to let you in." Naruto sounded tired, and Sasuke couldn't blame him. This had been going on for so long now, but he had nothing to be concerned about. Sasuke was going to set the feud to rest now, for once and for all.

.

For Naruto, the day had begun rather strangely. He'd heard Himawari singing to herself in a deep voice, giggling when Boruto called for her to shut it. She'd simply continued, though moved into Boruto's room, and seemed determined to get him up now she was awake. Naruto suspected the only reason she hadn't barged into his room was that she wanted Itachi to get some rest.

It was a surprise, but Naruto knew Itachi was still fast asleep behind the screen that separated their beds. He'd managed to fit the spare camping bed in for Itachi, though he'd tried to give up his own double bed. Itachi had refused – of course, he was ridiculously kind-hearted Naruto was beginning to realise – and merrily took to the slightly uneven camper bed.

Naruto rolled onto his other side, staring at the screen between them. It depicted a map of the five nations, beautifully painted. It had been a birthday gift from Sai and Ino, a few years back. He sighed, closing his eyes as Himawari drew out a long, loud note, followed by a groan from Boruto as they made their way downstairs.

He should have put Itachi up in the spare room. It was a study right now, full of various files and folders Naruto had forgotten to archive properly (it was fine, Shikamaru would never know), but it could easily have been reorganised to fit the camper bed in. Naruto was a terrible, horrid, creepy person.

Maybe he was just lonely. Maybe he was missing Hinata so that the first person who had shown interest actually caught his eye. Except, Naruto reasoned, that wasn't true. Many people had tried to catch his attention, he'd even been out for food with a small handful. None of them had made him feel how Itachi did.

Was it just because he was Sasuke's brother? Was it because he was a man? He was something different and new and exciting and-

Naruto sighed again, sitting up and running a hand through his hair.

"Whatever," he mumbled, deciding that thinking on all of this wasn't going to help. So what if he found Itachi attractive? If anything happened, well, Naruto would get to that bridge when he absolutely had to. For now, he had a village to run and Itachi to integrate back into society.

Himawari stopped singing when Naruto entered the kitchen, in sleeping shorts and a baggy top. She beamed at him, and even Boruto greeted him happily. It felt so much like before, when they'd all been a proper family and Naruto hadn't been an overworking idiot, that he half-expected Hinata to be standing in the kitchen, fixing him a stern look as he'd promised to get up early and cook, yet forgotten.

"We want eggs!" Himawari called, still playing her deep voice. She was frowning too, hands on her hips, and Naruto smiled, glancing to his egg basket in slight trepidation. No matter what, he always burnt eggs.

"Sure," he agreed, hoping that today would be the miracle day. Today, Naruto wouldn't burn the eggs. His children would be fed and happy, and they could go about their day however they wanted with full bellies and happy hearts.

Or so he could dream.

Five minutes and three burnt eggs later (in which the smoke detector went off no less than twice), Naruto was ready to pack up and take the kids out for breakfast, if only to save a little face. He scraped black debris off the pan (again) and took a deep breath, preparing to crack another egg.

"Having some trouble?" a new voice said, and Naruto paused, one hand holding an egg and the other gripping his spatula. He turned to look at Itachi – who looked wonderfully put together, not like Naruto who now had egg all over him – and smiled, wiggling the hand with the egg in it.

"Here," Itachi said, taking a fresh egg and the pan. "Let me," he continued, and Naruto handed over the spatula, rolling his egg between his hands as he watched Itachi work, cooking eggs like it was nothing.

In no time, breakfast was sitting on the table, and Naruto looked down at his own serving of perfectly cooked eggs, slightly mind blown there was not a single hint of charring.

"Thank you Oji-san!" Himawari said politely, low voice dropped as she beamed around the table, smile wide as she waited for them all to begin. "Papa always burns the eggs, so I'm glad you saved the day."

Naruto rolled his eyes, looking at Itachi as he laughed. It was a carefree, light sound, and Naruto couldn't help but smile too.

"You're welcome, Himawari-chan," he said, and that was their cue to begin.

Naruto was left alone with Itachi after breakfast. Boruto had wandered back upstairs to change, stating he wanted to try and find Konohamaru to train, and Himawari had headed for the living room, plonking herself down and turning on some singing show. It was awful, but Naruto closed the door and that was that.

"Did you sleep well? I'm surprised Himawari didn't wake you up earlier," Naruto said with a slight huff of laughter, suddenly nervous now it was just him and Itachi.

"I did," Itachi said, stretching out his legs under the table, looking the picture of relaxed. "It was the best night's sleep I've had in a very long time."

Naruto nodded with a grin, wiping the plates dry. He glanced out of the kitchen window, a person catching his eye. He recognised them as Sarada, though she seemed conflicted about whether to come up to the house or not.

"Sarada-chan is out there, debating whether it's too early to bother you or not," Naruto commented, and Itachi rose slowly, joining him at the sink. He was busy watching Sarada, unaware of Naruto's sudden crisis.

Itachi was shorter than him, just a tiny bit. He wasn't as broad either, still young enough to have a few years left in filling out before he began the downwards decline of getting old. He was in his prime, and Naruto was an idiot not to react when Itachi bumped their shoulders, looking out as Sarada finally got past the garden gate.

"I remember someone else being this eager for me to train them," Itachi said quietly, voice low. It sent a shiver through Naruto, and he shifted his weight slightly to press against Itachi a little more. "She's going to be great one day, but I hope she'll never need to face what we have."

Naruto nodded, looking down at the plate in his hands. He set it down on the dry worktop and turned to Itachi, swallowing thickly.

"They won't," he said firmly, and Itachi looked at him sharply, eyes dark and wide. "I swear on my life, they won't," Naruto finished, taking Itachi's hand and holding it tightly, a vow that he wouldn't break. Sarada was as precious to him as his own children, as was the rest of the Uchiha clan. As was the rest of his village. The next generation and those after wouldn't know the pain and sorrow they had. No one would have to die unnecessarily.

Itachi's lips parted, and he looked down at their hands, a considering look on his face. He glanced back up, looking at Naruto's eyes and taking a step closer, squeezing Naruto's hand back. It sent a thrill of excitement through him, and Naruto tilted his chin slightly, anticipating Itachi's next move.

A knock on the door stopped them in their tracks, and Itachi turned to look out of the window.

"She must have worked up her courage," Itachi offered, letting go of Naruto's hand slowly. His palm felt unnaturally cold as Itachi walked away, and he turned so his back was to the window, leaning against the kitchen cupboards. He closed his eyes and shook his head, berating himself for being such an idiot.

"What am I doing?" he questioned himself, taking a deep breath and heading out of the kitchen.

"Sarada-chan's here!" Naruto called out, smiling to himself as he heard both Himawari and Boruto make a move to come see her. He could forget about his stupid self for a while. Sarada had chosen the perfect moment to interrupt – thank goodness she hadn't come a moment later. Who knew what Naruto would have done.

"Sorry to bother you so early," Sarada said, though she looked far from apologetic. "I was hoping Oji-san could train me today."

She smiled so nicely that Naruto knew there was no way Itachi would decline. Not that he would have anyway, but Sarada knew how to get what she wanted, and she used that ability.

"Of course," Itachi said, just as Himawari poked her head out of the living room, stoic expression on her face.

"Greetings Sarada-chan," she said, voice low once more. "I hope you will join us for dinner tonight."

Sarada nodded slowly, and Himawari retreated to the living room, returning to whatever odd programme she was watching and imitating. Naruto shrugged when she looked at him.

"Bring Sakura-chan too," he said. "Might as well make a proper dinner out of it."

Boruto appeared on the stairs then, and Sarada sat with him in the kitchen for a while, waiting as Itachi vanished upstairs to gather whatever he needed for the day. Naruto stood in the hallway awkwardly, peering at some of the photographs of the kids and his friends on the wall, though he wasn't really taking them in. His mind was upstairs, wondering if he could afford to be impulsive and give into temptation.

Unexpectedly, Boruto hung back when Sarada and Itachi left, hovering in the kitchen doorway. He wasn't meeting Naruto's eyes, but he seemed to want to say something, so Naruto simply waited.

"Do you think," Boruto began, clamping his mouth shut and looking away. Naruto waited, but he didn't seem to want to continue, and his brain suddenly caught up with what Boruto might want.

"How about," Naruto began, and Boruto looked at him, "we go out to train some day this week. I'll teach you something you can show off to Sarada with. They might be Uchihas, but we're Uzumakis and the techniques we can do beat any silly eye things they come up with."

Boruto's smile pulled at Naruto's heart, and he wondered how long it had been since he'd seen such an honest smile from his son. He couldn't help it, and he reached out to ruffle Boruto's hair, and he felt himself well up a little when Boruto didn't pull away.

"Alright then old man," Boruto said cheekily, pushing Naruto away. He was still smiling though, eyes bright and eyes crinkled. "I can look after Himawari today if you want to leave a clone. Shikamaru-san will have your head if you don't do a little bit of work at least."

He was right, and Naruto raised an eyebrow. Boruto was on the verge of being old enough to look after Himawari by himself, but Naruto wasn't going to allow that. He'd planned on sending a clone to work, truth be told, but this arrangement would probably work better. Naruto didn't like using too many clones anymore, not unless he had to.

"Alright," he agreed, fixing Boruto a stern look. "Only if you're sure you're okay with it. I'll be back home early tonight for dinner as well, so I won't be gone long." Boruto rolled his eyes in return and grabbed something from the kitchen chair. It was Naruto's Hokage cloak, though how it had ended up in the kitchen was beyond Naruto.

It was later in the office, after Sasuke had returned and left everything churning in Naruto's stomach, uncertainty and worry for both of the Uchiha brothers blooming in his chest, that he realised Itachi must have been the one to bring his cloak back. He stood suddenly, but paused. What was he going to do? Run over to where Itachi and Sasuke were? Try to stop them? He hadn't heard any noises that would indicate a fight, and no one had come running to him to tell him Sasuke was back and fighting his brother, so it was unlikely they were actually fighting. What were they doing then?

Naruto sat back down heavily, pulling his cloak tightly around himself and sinking low in his seat. Sasuke had seemed to take the news well, though he'd seen the uncertainty and panic written all over Sasuke's face. He knew Sasuke so well that there was no way he'd have been able to hide it.

Running a hand over his face, Naruto closed his eyes. He was too old for this kind of thing, too old and too tired to deal with Uchiha rivalry. For the sake of everyone, not just Sasuke and Itachi, he hoped that all of their issues were resolved, and that they could just be happy. It was selfish of Naruto, really, but he honestly wanted what was best for Sasuke and Itachi too. Uchihas had always loved with ferocity, this should be no different.

Naruto felt the world fall away from him, and he opened his eyes to be greeted with Kurama's gleaming grin. He was lying on his side, all nonchalance and smugness, and Naruto sat down, crossing his legs.

"What do you want," he muttered, knowing full well what Kurama wanted. He was a busybody and wanted to meddle.

"Nothing," Kurama lied, and Naruto rolled his eyes. "I was curious how things are getting on with your new Uchiha."

"Are you so bored that you're trying to live through me? I can summon you out if you like, you can take a walk, burn off some of this excess energy you've amassed." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as Kurama laughed, throwing his head back.

"No, no," Kurama said, holding out a hand. "I'm content in here. Plus, if I was loose outside, who knows what I'll say to certain people. Certain Uchihas." He burst into laughter again as Naruto's arms dropped to his sides, clearly having the time of his life.

"I hate you Kurama," Naruto muttered, not meaning a word of it. And the stupid fox knew that. Of course he did.

"You like him a lot," Kurama offered, and Naruto clenched his jaw, refusing to talk about this. "It took you years to even notice Hinata, and I'm willing to bet you still wouldn't have if Sakura hadn't basically dragged you before her and made you notice." Kurama's voice was laced with disapproval, and Naruto bristled. They'd spoken about this before, but he'd never been willing to listen.

Until now.

"What did you really think of Hinata?" Naruto asked, and Kurama tensed, all traces of laughter vanishing as he looked down.

"You want me to answer that honestly now?" he confirmed, and Naruto nodded. Kurama sighed, drumming his fingers on the ground. "I think you rushed into it. You were both pressured, and then everyone else was doing it, so why not you two? You did well, both of you, though. You weren't completely right for each other, but you did well, and you had some happy times."

Naruto smiled slightly, nodding. They had had some happy times, and he'd forgotten the good with how badly it had ended.

"You weren't right forever, but what does that matter. Not everything stands the test of time, and not everything should, especially for us." Kurama shrugged, his cheek pushing upwards as his hand shifted against it. "Don't regret something that made you happy at the time. You loved each other back then, and that's what mattered."

The words lifted an unease on Naruto's chest, and he nodded.

"Thank you Kurama," he said honestly, "I'm sorry it's taken me so long to listen to what you wanted to say."

Kurama was silent for a moment, regarding Naruto carefully, and then he nodded.

"Uchiha Itachi's return is a good thing. He's shaken this village up enough to get you out of your self-deprecating funk, and Sasuke's going to be around more. Who know what else will change, but you're doing good." Kurama shifted, lowering himself to the floor and stretching out.

"I know you don't think you deserve someone like Itachi – don't look at me like that. You never thought you deserved Hinata either, or anyone else who loves you. You're scared of love, and that's fine. But you deserve what you get, and Itachi might be someone you get." Naruto mirrored Kurama's move and rolled onto his back, staring up at a bright blue sky.

"He's so young," Naruto began, and Kurama hummed to himself. "And he's only been back for a few days. There's so much he can do, should do, so why should I try to start something? He has so much to live for this time, I can't take that away from him.

"What if he wants to live for you?" Kurama shot back, and Naruto closed his eyes, wanting to shake his head. "What will you do then."

"Nothing," Naruto mumbled, turning his head to the side to stare at Kurama. "I won't do anything, how about that?"

There was silence, and Naruto bit the inside of his cheek.

"I don't know Kurama," he continued. "I'll do what I always do and jump right in, no matter what. The rest can be sorted out after."

"That sounds about right," Kurama said, fondness lacing his voice. They were old friends now, and Kurama was always there for him, no matter even if Naruto didn't want to hear it. They might not always agree, but Kurama's friendship meant so much to Naruto.

"Are you sure you don't want to wander around outside for a bit? I'll even introduce you to Itachi," Naruto said, and Kurama laughed.

"I want to watch this one for a bit longer. Give it a couple of weeks and I'll let you know when I want out." Naruto nodded, returning to his office with a pang of something he'd never quite been able to identify. It wasn't loss, for he could still talk to Kurama whenever he wanted, but something similar, though he couldn't explain why.

Naruto stared at the stack of forms he still needed to sign and then at his computer's clock. He narrowed his eyes, making a sign for a shadow clone a moment later, and he grinned at his replacement.

He had a dinner and an added guest to plan for, after all.

.

For the briefest of moments, Itachi was convinced Nagato was watching him. It was just a flicker, the tiniest spike that someone could have easily overlooked, but he could feel the power of the rinnegan in that flicker. He paused, turning away from Sarada, sharingan enhancing his vision through the trees, trying to pick up who his watcher was.

He should have known, really, and Itachi's breath caught in his throat as he realised it was Sasuke who was approaching. He stood there frozen, ignoring Sarada as she tugged on his forearm, breath coming in short, panicky gasps.

"Oji-san?" Sarada asked, turning sharply to Sasuke as he emerged from the trees. She instantly brightened and ran over to him, hugging Sasuke. Itachi noticed him wrap his arms around her, attention only for his daughter, and then the moment passed, and Sasuke was focused on him again.

Itachi remained still as Sasuke approached. While he could see the frightened, angry brother he'd always known, this was a man who had spent his adult life growing past that. Sasuke was powerful and older now, someone who possessed the rinnegan and great intelligence. He was also a man who could ruin everything Itachi had scraped together in the past two days, who could destroy any hope Itachi had of rebuilding their relationship, and he waited for whatever Sasuke would say.

"Sarada," Sasuke began, turning away from Itachi completely. "I'd like to see what you've learnt."

She didn't even hesitate, smiling at Itachi as she performed the fire technique Itachi had taught her on his first morning. She shaped it into a bird, letting it fly around Sasuke's head just how Itachi had to her, and she cancelled it proudly.

"We began working on genjutsu today. Oji-san said that one of the rudimentary techniques of the sharingan is to knock people out, so we started with that one." She paused, shooting Itachi a smile, and then dove right in. "He says he wants to train me with the mangekyō techniques, only without the mangekyō sharingan. It's possible, I watched Oji-san fight Hokage-sama and he was able to use Amaterasu and Susanoo without keeping the mangekyō activated. He's a genius."

Sarada squared herself, and Itachi felt anticipation uncoil slightly, nerves calming as she looked at Sasuke.

"I don't care what you think about Oji-san, you know. He'll still be my sensei and Oji-san whatever you think. You can't stop me from trying to see him, I refuse." Her voice was so firm and stance unmoveable that Itachi was reminded vaguely of Tsunade in her stubbornness. His heart ached at her words, but he didn't dare look at Sasuke, knowing that Sarada would be powerless if Sasuke decided to cut Itachi out of their family.

"Sarada," Sasuke said, voice sharp. Itachi saw Sarada flinch, and he resigned himself to his fate. He'd done too much damage the last time he'd been alive – of course Sasuke couldn't give him a second chance.

"You're being ridiculous. I only wanted to know what Nii-san had been able to teach you so far. I'm not going to stop you from seeing him. He's been a great teacher to you so far, and he's my brother." Sasuke's voice wavered slightly, and Itachi looked at him quickly, eyes wide as he met Sasuke's gaze. "He's the only brother I have, and I love him."

A hand rose to Itachi's mouth as his vision blurred, and he felt warm tears roll down his face. Before he could stop himself, he was full on sobbing, trying to mask the noises with one hand as the other wiped his cheeks. Hours of stress and panic rolled from him in one clean wash, and he almost didn't notice Sasuke coming to stand beside him.

"It's been a long time for me, longer than it has for you, so I don't understand how you feel," Sasuke began, and Itachi sniffed heavily, feeling Sarada move closer, as if she could make a barrier to protect Itachi from himself. "But, if you're willing, I want to sort out everything that happened and rebuild our relationship."

"Yes," Itachi managed, hiccupping and laughing at himself. "I want my brother, I want my family, I-" he hiccupped again and ducked his head, shaking and laughing at himself again.

"You're a mess," Sasuke said cheekily, and suddenly he was all of five years old again, beaming up as Itachi promised to play with him.

"I know," Itachi said, eyes widening as Sasuke moved closer, enveloping him in a tight hug. He was taller than Itachi now, and Itachi could hear Sasuke sniff heavily, tears flowing freely. "You are too," Itachi returned, and as Sasuke pulled back, he knew everything would be okay.

"So Oji-san can stay?" Sarada ventured, sounding uncertain. Her gaze flickered between them, and Itachi reached out slowly to poke her on the forehead.

"We still have a lot to work out," he said as she grinned tapping the point where Itachi had touched her forehead. She turned to Sasuke, and his expression softened, nodding to her slowly.

"But Nii-san can stay," Sasuke confirmed, and Itachi knew that that they could fix the mess they'd gone through, and that they'd do it together.

"Oh, Oto-san," Sarada piped up suddenly, and a feeling of dread began to spread through Itachi as she shot him a narrow-eyed smile. "Hokage-sama invited us all to dinner at his place. Since Oji-san's living there now, we have to go."

It was a lie, Himawari was the one who had asked, and Itachi had definitely caught the emphasis on the fact he was living with Naruto. He looked at Sasuke to explain, but the feeling of dread only deepened as he caught the sight smirk on Sasuke's face.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Sasuke commented lightly, and Itachi knew there was no way he was going to get through this dinner unscathed in terms of teasing.

Which brought another question to mind – Sarada he could understand as she'd seen them together and could put two and two together, but how did Sasuke know that Itachi was interested in Naruto like that?

 **.**

 **Feedback is always appreciated thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Pairing:** Itachi/Naruto

Thank you for all of the support so far! This had to be split into two as it got a bit too long, hopefully there won't be too long a wait between this and the next part.

 **.**

The thing about hosting a dinner, Naruto realised with dawning horror, was that he had no idea what to do. Boruto and Himawari had been no help either; Himawari had declared they should just eat bread and chocolate, and Boruto had smirked, stating that if Naruto wanted to impress the Uchihas, he needed to do it by himself.

He was a little shit, Naruto decided, and Boruto rolled his eyes.

"Look, you haven't been this worried about a dinner in ages, not even one of those stuffy meetings you have," Boruto said, crossing his arms over his chest, and Naruto felt bizarrely as if Boruto was the older one between them. "Who cares though. They're not coming over because they want to eat, or at least not as the main reason."

Boruto was right, Naruto realised, and he grinned at his son, ruffling his hair.

"Here, take some money and go pick out a dessert with Himawari. Make sure you get enough for everyone, but you can choose whatever you like." Naruto pulled his wallet – one of multiple successors to his dear gama-chan – and handed over money. "I'm going to head to Ichiraku, don't worry about waiting for me though. I'll meet you back here."

Himawari took Boruto by the hand, and Naruto watched as they ran down the road to their favourite bakery. They were both smiling, happier in his presence than he'd seen them in weeks, and Naruto knew he had to thank Itachi for so much.

He'd been an idiot, dwelling in his sadness and anger his marriage had ended instead of looking after his children. Naruto had ignored their needs for so long, and he was only just now trying to put them first. Just because he thought he had been didn't mean he truly had.

"Right," he muttered to himself, heading the opposite way, towards Ichiraku. It was huge now, and Ayame smiled brightly when Naruto walked in.

"Long time no see Hokage-sama!" she greeted warmly, and Naruto inhaled deeply. This place held so many memories, and while it had expanded, nothing had changed. Well, aside from the poster on the wall of him grinning with a bowl, and the photos of more famous ninja up at the back, but that came with the job really.

"I have a large to-go order," he said, and Ayame nodded, patting her husband on the shoulder. He'd succeeded the kitchen after Teuchi had retired – Ayame having no desire to become the primary cook – and while she managed the business, her husband kept up the delicious food.

"Just for you? It's been a while since you've come to collect in person," Ayame said, moving around the counter to clear some plates as she talked to Naruto.

"A family dinner," he said with a smile, and Ayame looked up, eyes bright with interest.

"Current, prospective, or hopeful?" she quipped, and Naruto raised an eyebrow, giving her a small smile. He'd never been afraid to share his personal life with Ayame. She could keep a secret, and gave the best advice, as well as feeding him with what he needed, even if he didn't realise it.

"I have no idea," Naruto replied, shrugging. "Well, the kids of course. Sakura-chan and Sarada-chan are coming too – as is Sasuke. He arrived back today," Naruto continued, pausing.

Sensing there was more to come, Ayame placed the plates on the counter, sidling up to Naruto and sitting beside him. Her husband set down two glasses of water before them, and she took a sip, sighing.

"I haven't had a sit-down in a while," she confided, and Naruto looked at her in slight worry, knowing she was carrying her third child, even if she wasn't showing much yet. Ayame trusted Naruto just as much as he did her, after all. "Now, who else is going?" she asked, and Naruto smiled.

"Uchiha Itachi," he commented lightly, and Ayame's eyebrows rose.

"Itachi-san? But…" she trailed off, frowning.

"Some idiot thought he could defeat us by using a blood jutsu to bring Itachi back. He's about 21, in his prime and…" Naruto trailed off, feeling like a disgusting pervert.

"And just as handsome as he ever was then," Ayame said with a laugh, blowing a kiss to her husband as he turned around, stern look on his face. "You're my one and only, my love, but if you saw him, even you'd agree he's handsome."

She turned back to Naruto, looking at him in a way that suggested he couldn't deny the fact either. Naruto shrugged, giving in. She was right, after all.

"Fine, handsome too. And I don't know," he said sighing and sinking against the counter, lying his cheek against the wood.

"Shall I tell you something," she said, not even making it a question. Naruto nodded, cheek pulling as he moved against the wood, and he sat up, rubbing the skin. "The last time you came in with such a big order was when you were celebrating Himawari-chan's birth."

Naruto's eyes widened. It had been that long?

"And what that tells me," Ayame continued, standing up and patting her stomach gently, "is that this matters a lot to you."

She was right, and Naruto smiled, adding more dishes to his order. They'd be kept perfectly warm and fresh until dinner (Naruto himself had contributed to the design of that jutsu), and tonight was an occasion to splash out on. Any reservations he had had were smashed by Ayame's words, and Naruto decided that he should enjoy this time with Itachi, even if nothing came of it – which he was certain would be the case.

Loaded with three shadow clone's worth of food boxes, Naruto waved goodbye and returned home, humming to himself. Himawari and Boruto were back already, Himawari covered in chocolate and grinning wildly.

"Ah," Naruto said, shaking his head and looking at a guilty-faced Boruto. "Someone's started early I see."

Himawari grinned, running forwards with sticky hands to grab at Naruto. His clones made a quick move to the kitchen, and Naruto managed to catch Himawari before her hands got him, twirling her up until she sat on his shoulders.

"No more chocolate for you I think," Naruto said and Himawari laughed, bending over and smearing her hands over Naruto's face. Boruto began laughing too, and Naruto grinned, grabbing Himawari and holding her out in Boruto's direction, turning her into a grabby, sticky mess machine.

"That's so unfair," Boruto said a few minutes later, the three of them sprawled on the floor in the living room, chocolate covering their faces and hair. Himawari was still giggling, and Naruto closed his eyes, enjoying the moment.

"How about you can have the shower first then," Naruto said kindly, and Boruto was off in a moment, the clunk of pipes sounding. He'd be in there for ages no doubt, primping for the evening. Naruto wasn't sure if he was putting on a show just for Sasuke, or whether Sarada was also the cause. Either way, Naruto would be stuck slightly messy for a while.

"You're next by the way," he muttered to Himawari, and she grinned down at him, switching the TV on and moving around dancing instantly, despite the fact she was busy flicking channels.

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself doze off slightly. His mind was busy thinking, but he let whatever programme Himawari had settled on fade into background noise as he thought.

It wasn't just that he potentially very much liked Itachi. What came with that was something Naruto was scared of. He was scared of opening himself up to someone else, letting someone in so much that, if they left, if they decided they had more life to explore and live without him, then he would hurt so much. Parting from Hinata had hurt so much, and Naruto was still certain he'd never fully recover from that, but it was something he'd accepted. He could live with Hinata's hurt, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to if he began something with Itachi and it failed.

"Of course you would," Kurama said, and Naruto found himself lying on his back, one of Kurama's fingers poking his arm gently. "Stop being so melodramatic."

"You know what I mean," Naruto said, rolling away as Kurama made to poke him again.

"Then talk to him. You haven't even got that far yet, stop dooming yourself before you even confirm he's interested." Kurama grinned as Naruto stood, rolling his eyes. "He is interested, by the way, I can definitely confirm that."

Naruto wanted to tell him to stop it, but part of him definitely wanted to hear this.

"Oh?" he said, trying to sound like he didn't care too much. Not that Kurama would fall for it, but he could pretend to himself at least.

"I'm not giving you any tips. I need something to entertain me before you decide it's time I can come out again," Kurama said, and Naruto knew that he didn't really want to come out, not yet anyway. Naruto sighed and shook his head.

"You're impossible. So I should just ignore all the potential problems and talk to him then, that's your plan?" Kurama nodded, and Naruto looked down, scuffing the ground. "You make it seem so easy."

Kurama laughed, and Naruto opened his eyes to Himawari standing over him, looking down.

"Were you talking to Kurama?" she asked, and Naruto nodded. Himawari brightened instantly, and Naruto informed her she'd get to play with Kurama again soon. The last time, and first time actually, Naruto had introduced Kurama and his children, they had both been young enough to clamber over Kurama's hand, practically getting lost in his fur.

"Boruti-nii's finished, I'm going to have a bath now," Himawari announced, and Naruto followed her to the hall, heading to the kitchen rather than upstairs. His clones had put the food on the side, and Naruto resisted the urge to open one of them and sneak a taste. Everyone would be over in an hour or so, and he wasn't going to starve, but Ichiraku was always so good.

Instead, Naruto washed his hands, at least clearing some of Himawari's chocolate from him. He looked out of the window, drying his hands slowly, and shook his head. The garden was a mess, and Naruto couldn't remember the last time he'd actually done anything to it. Or even if he had at all. Maybe he'd cut the grass once, but it was wild now, practically. Maybe they could all tidy it up one day this week, Naruto thought, and his imagination drifted.

It was warm outside, so what if the kids decided to go to the park with their friends for ice cream or whatever they did. That would just leave Naruto and Itachi, and Itachi often wore dark colours. What if the sun was too much and Itachi had to take his shirt off? Naruto swallowed as he imagined the scene; Itachi framed in sunlight, pulling his shirt off and turning with a smile.

Fuck.

"Papa!" Himawari shouted from upstairs, and Naruto tore himself away from his daydream, moving upstairs quickly. "Boruto took the last towel!" Himawari shouted, marching naked along the corridor, looking as if she intended to kick Boruto's door down.

Quickly darting forwards, Naruto managed to grab Himawari. She was soaking wet and squirmy, growling like a wild animal as she fought to (in her words) teach Boruto a lesson.

"Boruto!" Naruto shouted, carting Himawari back off to the bathroom, ignoring the fact she had her byakugan activated. Everything could escalate if he wasn't careful, and all over a towel.

Boruto darted out of his room sheepishly, running to the airing cupboard and grabbing a towel. He entered the bathroom just as Naruto set Himawari down, and he passed her the towel.

"You owe me," she said with narrowed eyes, and Naruto turned, leaving her to it and pushing Boruto out of the room. When the door closed, they both sighed in relief.

"We got lucky," Boruto said, grinning. Naruto laughed, opening his mouth to speak when the doorbell rang. The effect on Boruto was instant. He ran off, shouting that he wasn't ready yet and for Naruto to distract everyone, and Naruto shook his head, looking down at himself.

Oh well. It wasn't as if any of his guests hadn't seen him in this much of a mess before. He moved down the stairs quickly, wondering which one of his guests it would be on the other side.

Sakura and Sarada stood on the doorstep, smiling when he opened the door. Naruto grinned, welcoming them in, and Sarada moved straight towards the kitchen.

"What on earth happened to you?" Sakura asked, eyes raking up and down his clothes, shaking her head with a smile.

"Himawari, chocolate and a missing towel," Naruto commented, holding one of Sakura's hands for balance as she slid her shoes off.

"I'm still thankful every day that Sarada was far from troublesome," Sakura commented, stepping into the house. "She's been an angel, all things considered."

Naruto nodded slowly, and they walked into the kitchen.

"Nothing's ready yet," he started apologetically, but Sakura just bumped into his arm, smiling.

"Don't worry about it, we left early to give Sasuke-kun and Itachi-san some time to talk. We knew we'd be intruding; I hope you don't mind." There was worry in Sakura's eyes, and Naruto understood why.

"Tou-san said they'd be okay," Sarada piped up, staring at the Ichiraku containers. Her sharingan was activated, and Naruto wasn't too surprised. She was learning all sorts of new things, she probably wanted to keep it active for as long as she could.

"And they will be," Naruto assured. He knew how much Sasuke had missed Itachi, even if they'd never really spoken about it. There had been one conversation, years ago, before Naruto had become Hokage. They'd been on the edge of Suna, camped out under the blazing sun, and Sasuke had just started talking.

He'd spoken about how scared he was of having a child, how he would probably fuck things up if he was there, how he didn't understand how Sakura could bear to look at him, much less touch him. He'd confessed he preferred to keep on moving, lest his demons catch up with him, and he'd said, in a quiet voice, that he wished Itachi was there.

Naruto also knew how much Itachi had missed Sasuke too. Everything he'd done was to try and protect Sasuke, and while he'd failed, that kind of love never waned.

So Naruto knew they would be okay, though that didn't mean they didn't have lots to discuss.

"Well they're doing that, so we're here to help. You seem to have most of it covered though," Sakura said, nodding to the Ichiraku containers.

There was a bang from upstairs, and Naruto winced.

"Papa!" Himawari shouted. "Bathroom's free!"

"Thank you!" Naruto called back, and he excused himself. Sakura waved him off, and he bounded upstairs, excited to get properly clean.

While he tried not to dwell too much on Itachi, Naruto couldn't help his thoughts slip in that direction. He huffed as he began shampooing his hair, trying desperately not to return to his earlier fantasy, and instead keep his thoughts on what Itachi and Sasuke might be talking about.

It didn't work, not really, and Naruto hurried himself up, jumping out of the shower and wrapping himself up in a towel before he could do anything he might berate himself for later.

Ten minutes later, Naruto was fully dressed and standing in the kitchen with Sakura, both of them setting the table.

"It's so nice to have someone there for Sarada," Sakura confided, and Naruto glanced at her, setting out napkins. They'd never talked about Sasuke's absence, not properly anyway. In fact, they hadn't really talked about much of anything for a lot of the time.

"I know he had his reasons, and I don't blame him…" Sakura continued, straightening a pair of chopsticks and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I resented his choice for a long while though. I blamed myself at first, then I blamed Sarada, and then one day it just clicked," Sakura said, looking at Naruto.

"One day I realised that was just who Sasuke was. It's what he needed, a part of him. It took a long while for me to actually accept that, but I think I get it now." She gave a small smile, and Naruto felt so proud of her. He'd been so busy with his own issues that he'd completely glazed over what Sakura might have been feeling back then. And when he had finally snapped out of it, Sakura looked as if she was fine, and Naruto had been climbing up to becoming Hokage.

"But I am so glad she has Itachi-san," Sakura finished.

"Do you remember when we used to sit and plan against the Akatsuki, before we really knew anything?" Naruto said, sitting down in one of the chairs. Sakura took a seat too, nodding her head.

"We were idiots really," she said, laughing. "Though I did take down Sasori, thank you very much," she added proudly, and Naruto scoffed.

"You were pretty amazing, I'll admit that much," and he meant it too. "I was totally in love with you back then as well, imagine if we'd ended up together!"

Sakura laughed again, slapping her hand on the table. The entire table jolted, but Naruto knew it was sturdy enough to weather Sakura.

"Any children we would have had would definitely have ravaged the village, can you imagine!" she said, and Naruto grinned. He hadn't been in love with Sakura for a very long time, and while he could laugh at his past self now, he felt comfort from that fact. His friendship with Sakura was stronger than any passing fancy.

"We dodged a bullet there," Naruto said, and Sakura nodded slowly, sipping her drink slowly.

"I feel I have to warn you," she said, and Naruto was alert instantly. "My dearest child and husband have been overheard plotting, of sorts. Nothing outright, but a mother and wife knows how to read between the lines," Sakura said firmly, and Naruto tilted his head in curiosity.

"They're trying to pair you and Itachi-san up," Sakura said, leaning back in her chair and smiling grimly. Naruto felt panic spike through him, and he shook his head quickly, leaning forwards.

"It's okay, you know," Sakura continued, before he could finish. "You two would be a good thing, and I get the feeling it's inevitable anyway." She sounded so blasé, so Naruto decided to give it up and accept it.

"Fine. I think I have feelings for Itachi. Now what," he commented, voice deadpan.

Sakura brightened, leaning forward to get closer to Naruto, narrowing her eyes as a smile slid across her lips. And suddenly there was a woman who was the top medical ninja, surpassing even the acclaimed Tsunade. Sakura was a formidable ninja, and Naruto felt as if he'd fallen into her trap.

"We have a little fun. If you and Itachi do hit things off and something starts between you, I feel it should be on your own terms, not Sasuke-kun's or Sarada's." Sakura was right, of course she was, and Naruto felt strangely as if he'd gone back years, back to when she was letting him know that Hinata was right there, waiting for him to notice her.

"Or yours?" Naruto said carefully, and Sakura nodded.

"Of course not. This needs to be yours and Itachi-san's. If you can get him involved, you should do. Think of it as revenge against Sasuke for trying to meddle in the first place." Naruto nodded, it did sound like fun. It had been a long while since he'd been able to play a trick on someone, and he missed that side of himself.

"If… if something did happen…" Naruto began, biting the inside of his cheek. "It wouldn't be weird?"

Sakura didn't seem to get it at first, and then her eyes widened. She reached for Naruto's hand and held it tightly, making sure he looked in her eyes before she began speaking.

"Itachi-san respects you a lot. Even without adding another layer to it, he already loves you for protecting Konoha and being there for Sasuke. I'm almost certain he's attracted to you on top of that." She squeezed his hand, and Naruto realised he had missed their talks. "So what if he's now younger. He's also been dead, been part of an organisation trying to kill you, and spent his entire life running from what he wants."

Naruto nodded slowly, finally getting what Kurama and Ayame had said. If Itachi chose him, then Itachi _chose_ him. That was something remarkable in itself, and Naruto would be a fool to deny himself of something that would make him happy, even if it didn't last forever.

"You're right," he said softly, and Sakura let her hand fall.

"Right then. They'll probably be here soon, is everything ready?" Sakura asked, and Naruto nodded.

This dinner was the best idea he'd had in a long while.

.

After Sasuke had come to the training field, Itachi continued training Sarada. He couldn't help but glance towards Sasuke every now and then, and he wondered whether Sasuke was learning anything from his instructions. He'd never had a true teacher in the sharingan, after all, and while he'd undoubtedly mastered it, Sasuke probably didn't have finer control over the basics.

"I think that's enough for today," Itachi decided, and Sasuke nodded.

"We'll be expected at Naruto's soonish," he added, and that was that. Sarada grinned, walking between them, talking excitedly about the fact her team were about to go back on duty, and how she had so much to tell Mitsuki. Itachi spared a glance for Sasuke when Sarada began talking about her other team mate, wondering how Sasuke felt about Orochimaru being a parent.

Sasuke just shrugged, as if to state that Orochimaru would do whatever the hell he wanted. That much was very true, Itachi knew.

Sakura was ready and reading a book when they entered. She gave them a quick look as they came into the living room, and smiled gently.

"It's nice to see the two of you together," she said, closing her book. Sarada vanished upstairs, and Sasuke sat beside Sakura, leaning back on the sofa. It left Itachi to sit on the small armchair, and he shifted it slightly so he'd be able to see the others better.

He was still having some difficulty recognising the man before him as his brother, though Itachi was thankful that Sasuke's similarity to their father weakened in person. Itachi didn't know if he'd have been able to cope with a larger ghost of the past.

"Sarada and I will head over to Naruto-kun's when she's ready. You two can join us whenever," Sakura said, setting her book on the coffee table and smiling. "Your bloodwork came back, by the way," Sakura added, and Itachi looked at her sharply, dread building in the pit of his stomach.

"It was clean," she said quickly, and Itachi gave a sigh of relief. "With your permission, I'd like to do routine tests, perhaps once a month or so, just to monitor your blood condition. That way we'll be able to tell if there are any issues relating to your past illness," Sakura finished, and Itachi nodded.

"Thank you," he said sincerely. "It would be a relief not to have to worry about becoming blind again," Itachi said quietly, and Sasuke shifted, looking at him curiously.

"Blind?" he asked, and Itachi nodded.

"You might want to have Sakura-san monitor your blood too, though the rinnegan perhaps negates the effects, I'm not sure." Itachi looked down at his hands. "The Uchiha bloodline is susceptible to a number of illnesses, and while the one I had was a rarer blood illness, it's been noted in the past."

"And it caused you to go blind?" Sasuke asked, almost insisting the point.

"Near enough, there was the tiniest light, but." Itachi shrugged, closing his eyes for a moment. It wasn't particularly something he wanted to remember in detail, though he figured this would be the least uncomfortable conversation between him and Sasuke.

"I must have seemed like an insect to you back then," Sasuke said softly, and Itachi watched as Sakura stood, leaving the room silently. She closed the door behind her, leaving Sasuke and Itachi to it.

He knew exactly what Sasuke was talking about, of course he did. Fighting Sasuke had been hard, though not just because he'd been almost completely blind, though Sasuke clearly didn't believe that.

"I don't know if it's something you'll ever be able to understand," Itachi began carefully. Sasuke sat up straighter, his face painfully blank. He looked so young all of a sudden, and Itachi wondered just how much of his life he'd spent alone. "I was born in a different time, the first things I can still remember are almost all war."

Itachi grimaced, looking down at the coffee table. Sakura's book had a bright cover and a map of chakra pathways, and he wondered for a split second what it was about.

"I was in ANBU before I hit puberty," Itachi said, voice firm. This was something he needed Sasuke to understand. "I then went straight into a criminal organisation with a flee-on-sight order on me. I was brought up to be a perfect ninja, and that's what I am."

Itachi's eyes flickered to Sasuke, and he amended his sentence. "Was."

"But-" Sasuke said quickly, and Itachi shook his head.

"The person I died as was not a good person. I manipulated you and tried to play god, thinking I could plan for everything. I realised this when I was revived and paired up with Naruto. I made mistakes, Sasuke, ones that cost you and me painfully." He gave a wry smile. "And even though it was what I wanted, when we fought each other, you were a worthy opponent."

Sasuke nodded, letting out a slight huff of breath. His shoulder sagged as he leant back against the sofa, and he looked up, rolling his eyes slightly.

"This is so hard," he commented, and Itachi smiled, agreeing completely. "You know, I always wondered what it would have been like if you'd lived. I thought of hundreds of things I wanted to tell you, and yet not a single one comes to mind right now." Sasuke met his gaze, giving a shy smile.

"Sarada said that you and Naruto fought," Sasuke said, raising his visible eyebrow. "If… possible, I'd like to fight you."

Itachi could feel his sharingan inside of him, willing to activate in response to the challenge. His blood roared, heart swelling with emotion, and Itachi nodded slowly.

"I would like a proper fight," he said.

They moved onto more general things, such as the lands Sasuke had looked at and discussing Sarada's training. They'd barely skimmed the barrel of issues between them, and Itachi had a feeling they would be largely put aside until their physical fight. They'd never been the best at talking, really, and action would help them pour themselves out entirely.

So, Itachi decided, he was going to enjoy the night, whatever it held. He had a small idea that Sasuke and Sarada had been plotting (thinking that he couldn't hear them, and Itachi hadn't had the heart to tell them their whispers were anything but), and knew that the dinner tonight could be interesting.

A quick inspection of the house revealed that Sakura and Sarada had already left, and Sasuke ordered him to shower, calling that he'd dig out some old clothes and set the outside. For the second time, Itachi put his faith in this household's abilities to dress him, and stepped into the shower.

He wondered what dinner would be. Did Naruto cook? He'd never seemed to have any cooking abilities, what with his love of instant ramen, but perhaps he had learnt over the years. Truth be told, Itachi knew very little about Naruto, so he really could be in store for anything.

Running a hand through his hair, Itachi borrowed some of Sakura's flowery shampoo, smiling at the tiny luxury. It had been a long while since he'd used anything but standard shampoo, standard everything really, and it was nice to be able to use something nice. Plus it smelt nice. Years of being on the run and living with Akatsuki had hardly led to nice smells, and while he hated to admit it, bathing hadn't really been a major occurrence when they were trekking through the land on a mission.

Thoughts returning back to Naruto, Itachi wondered whether he thought it odd Itachi had returned to Sakura and Sasuke's house. Probably not, Itachi reasoned, but part of him wanted Naruto to question why, if only to himself. It was a ridiculous feeling, but he knew it was because he wanted Naruto to care.

Itachi groaned, resting his forehead against bathroom tiles. He rinsed his hair quickly and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel and drying himself, not analysing why he wanted Naruto to care. That was a bad thing to think about, especially with Sarada and Sasuke teaming up, and Itachi began drying his hair lightly, mind drifting regardless.

Being with Naruto wasn't feasible, not really. He was the Hokage, and as much as Itachi liked the concept of being selfish, he'd never take Naruto from Konoha. Besides, Naruto was still recovering from his divorce, and Itachi couldn't just take Naruto's mind off of that and make everything better. He had no idea if Naruto wanted anyone else to make it better, truth be told.

It would be hard, though, Itachi reasoned. And perhaps, if they talked about it, just maybe they could do something. Possibly. Itachi sighed. Maybe he'd been dead too long this time around and his brain had rotted through. Why was he thinking he could date Naruto, of all people. Talk about going after someone out of his league.

"Nii-san?" Sasuke called from outside, and Itachi wrapped a towel around his waist, opening the door. Sasuke passed a bundle to him, jerking his head to the side.

"I need a shower," he said, and Itachi gathered his dirty washing, heading to the bedroom. It was only then that he saw what Sasuke had given him, and he felt tears well up inside of him, overcome with the gesture.

Itachi's fingers smoothed over the fabric, tracing the Uchiha crest. It would sit high on his back for all to see, and this time Itachi would be proud to wear his clan symbol. It would mark him as part of a loving clan, one that was growing interlinked with Konoha for all the right reasons, and mark him as someone who had been accepted, despite his flaws and past mistakes.

And then Itachi's eyes caught sight of a thin sash, and he froze, staring down at the fabric in disbelief. Sasuke couldn't have been subtler if he'd tried, Itachi thought, shaking his head, elation at seeing the Uchiha mark fading into determination at seeing the Uzumaki clan spiral decorating the sash.

"If that's how you want to play it," Itachi murmured to himself, forgetting all the reservations he'd listed as reasons for not pursuing a relationship with Naruto. If Sasuke wanted to keep pushing him towards Naruto, then it would be rude not to at least try and talk to Naruto about it.

And Itachi had the feeling joining forces with Naruto would yield results that would teach Sasuke to stop meddling. Itachi was, of course, ignoring the irony of that statement, and he began to dress, making sure the sash was clear for all to see.

If Sasuke had been expecting a reaction about the sash, he didn't show it. Instead, dressed in dark trousers and a light top, he nodded as he joined Itachi downstairs a short while later.

"I bet you it's ramen," Sasuke said as they made their way to the door, and Itachi gave a hug of laughter, stepping out in the evening air. There was a sweet scent on the breeze and it comforted Itachi.

"Ichiraku ramen at that," Itachi agreed, and they set off, heading towards Naruto's house.

With every step, Itachi wondered what Naruto would think of the sash. It wasn't an obscene gesture – the Uzumaki spiral was integral to the village, after all, and on almost all uniforms. Wearing a sash with the spiral and being both part of a prominent clan (technically the head of the clan, though Itachi was very happy to hand that title over to Sasuke if it hadn't already) and a friend of the Hokage.

Whatever the reaction, the evening would be an interesting one, that was for sure.

 **.**

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